Marked with Shame
by 7hrill
Summary: City elf Mirra Tabris is horrifically scarred during an abduction to the Arl's estate. Will she allow herself to get close to anyone, knowing their revulsion if she was unclothed? The city elf warrior tries to overcome her prejudices against humans, and human males specifically. Two handed warrior, mostly paragon, Origin. Mature rating for language, violence, and Leliana love.
1. Chapter 1

Marked with Shame

Chapter 1

Bioware owns rights to all characters.

Mirra Tabris, warrior, city elf, mostly paragon, straight black hair in ponytail, black eyes, rated mature for adult content, language, and eventual Leliana femslash. Some AU for story and dialog, but not much. Disturbing physical violence in this first chapter.

"Wake up cousin. Why are you still in bed? It's your big day." Shianni said, attempting to wake Mirra from her slumber. Mirra tried to keep sleeping. _Go away, Shianni. I'm having the best dream._

"Come on! Don't make me use cold water again. You do remember what today is, don't you?" Shianni said as Mirra drags herself out of bed. _I've been trying to forget all month._

"Someone's wedding?" Mirra asked, looking downcast.

"A double wedding. You're getting married, and so is Soris! That's what I came to tell you! Your groom, Nelaros... He's here early!"

_Unless he's got breasts and is missing a few key parts, he's not my type. I was hoping I could find a way out of this. _"Already? Then I guess I don't have a choice."

"That's the spirit, sort of... All right, I'll stop tormenting you. Oh, Soris said that he'll be waiting for you outside. So move it!" Shianni left.

Mirra went to her trunk and pulled out her wedding dress. She couldn't believe how much father paid for it. She looked at it with sad eyes. If only she had told him about her inclination towards the softer sex. But no, she thought it would break his heart. He had his heart set on grandchildren. She took off her sleeping clothes and put on the extravagant dress. She combed out her hair and pulled it back into her usual ponytail, showing off her ears. _If this Nelaros fellow doesn't like it, too bad. _She decided to go ahead and put on her purple eyeshadow. She didn't have much left. She would miss it when it ran out. She had found the half used pot in the Denerim market. Some shem noble had dropped it.

She left her sleeping area and found her father waiting in the kitchen.

"Ah, my little girl. It's...the last day I'll be able to call you that. Oh, I wish your mother could have been here!" He was wearing his best tunic, and had braided his hair as he did when mother was alive.

"Me too, Father. Well, what should I be doing?" Mirra asked, trying to sound convincing. _Would I have been able to tell mom? I don't know._

"All right, time for you to go find Soris. The sooner this wedding starts the less chance you two have to escape." _If only you knew, father._

"Thank you, Father."

"Oh, one last thing before you go, my dear. Your martial training... The swordplay, knives, and whatever else your mother trained you in. Best not to mention it to your betrothed."

"He'll find out sooner or later." _Very soon indeed if he pushes his marital privilege too soon._

"Later. Definitely later. We don't want to seem like troublemakers, after all. Adaia made that mistake."

"The humans who killed her made a bigger one."

"Our world is full of so many injustices. Here, take these. You mother would have wanted you to have them." He handed Mirra a pair of very well made boots. They weren't fancy either. These were the kind of boots you made long treks in, and they looked like they could take some abuse.

"Thank you, Father."

"Go on, then. I still have some things to do, and Soris is no doubt waiting for you."

Mirra left him to work and headed out into the alienage. She had to walk to the opposite end of the alienage to find Soris, not that it was all that big. The shems hadn't given them much room to work with, not considering the large elf population of Denerim.

"Well, if it isn't my lucky cousin. Care to celebrate the end of our independence together?"

"Getting cold feet, Soris?" Mirra asked him.

"Are you surprised? Apparently, your groom's a dream come true. My bride sounds like a dying mouse." _Want to trade? I can enjoy my marriage, and you can have lots of manly conversations with your husband. _"Great. I'll spend the next fifty years with a 'nice' girl who hides grain away for the winter... Let's go introduce you to your dreamy betrothed before you say 'I do'."

Mirra heads towards the Vandenahl, where the alienage stage was located. Unfortunately there seemed to be some trouble. Some humans in fine clothing were bothering the bridesmaids. One of them grabbed Nola, a pretty brunette.

"Let go of me! Stop, please." She shouted. He lost his grip on her and she took off running past Mirra, who started looking for a useable weapon.

"I know what you're thinking, but maybe we shouldn't get involved." Soris said to her. The humans were making pigs of themselves. _Time to show them the error of their ways._

"Objection noted. Now get out of my way." _No weapon. I'll have to do this the hard way._

"Fine. But let's try to be diplomatic, shall we?" _Unlikely to work, but what the heck._

"What's this? Another lovely one come to keep me company?" The human was referring to Mirra now.

"Dream on, human." Mirra said straight to his face.

"Do you have any idea who I am?" He asked her.

Mirra was considering her options when Shianni took care of it for her, smashing the human over the head with a bottle. _Thank you, dear cousin._

"Are you insane? This is Vaughan Urien, the ark of Denerim's son!" One of the other humans said. _Oh no..._

"W-what? Oh, Maker..." Shianni said, holding her head in her hands.

"Look, things got out of hand." Mirra switched to diplomacy mode.

"You've a lot of nerve, knife ears. This'll go badly for you." A shadow formed instantly over Mirra's vision. She forced herself to calm down. Luckily the shems left with their fallen lordling.

"I really screwed up this time." Shianni said.

"It'll be all right." Soris said. "He'll never admit an elven woman took him down."

"I hope so." Shianni said. "I should get cleaned up." She walked towards her dwelling.

"Is everyone else all right?" Soris asked as a pair of elves walked up to them.

"I think we're just shaken. What was that about?" The female of the pair asked.

"Looks like the arl's son started drinking too early." Soris added nervously. "Um, well let's not let this ruin the day. Uh, this is Valora, my betrothed." He gestured toward the lady. Mirra thought she didn't look as bad as Soris described, though not spectacular by any means.

She looked to the man next to her and her heart dropped. _Darn. _Nelaros was a handsome man. It was a shame she was pulling him off the market. It really was a disservice to some woman who could be truly happy with him at her side. _Father, you really shouldn't have. Couldn't you have found some nice, ugly elf for me to marry? It really would have been the best option. Urgg. Time to be nice, after all, I'm going to be seeing a lot of this guy._

"Then this handsome man must be Nelaros." She said to him.

"I'm a lucky man to be so warmly welcomed." Nelaros answered.

"I'm sure you two of you have a lot to discuss." Soris said before leading Valora away.

"Well, here we are... Are you nervous?" Nelaros asked.

"Not really, no." _Not about the wedding, nor about you, maybe about everything that follows._

"I thought I'd stay calm, but finally seeing you has made me... Well, let's just say I'm not calm." Nelaros told her.

"Come on, Cousin. We should let them get ready." Soris said from behind Mirra.

"We'll see you two in a bit. Don't disappear on us." Valora said.

"Or we'll come find you." Nelaros finished as they walked off. _Oh, father. Couldn't you have used a cheaper matchmaker?_

"Don't look now, but we have another problem." Soris said.

"Is it Vaughan? Has he returned?" Mirra asked, turning to look.

"Another human just walked in. Could be one of Vaughan's or just a random troublemaker. Either way, we need to move him along before someone does something stupid." Soris told her. A well armed and armored human entered the far side of the square. He was dark skinned and had a full beard. His armor looked very good, and well enough worn to demonstrate his skill. Mirra could tell by the way he carried himself that he could handle himself if necessary. Maybe if he had been here earlier Vaughan wouldn't have been so bold, though, knowing Vaughan, probably not.

"One human shouldn't cause too much trouble." Mirra said, not really wanting to confront him physically.

"I'm more worried about some of our boys. Wine is flowing, and I don't think we want another incident."

"Right, let's go talk to him."

"Let's do this quickly." Soris said. They head across the square to the visitor.

"Good day. I understand congratulations are in order for your impending wedding." The dark stranger said. _More polite than normal for a Shem._

"Thanks, but please go. I'd rather avoid any unpleasantness." Mirra's said.

"What manner of unpleasantness might you be referring to?" He asked.

"The alienage just isn't a good place for humans to be. We just had an incident involving the arl's son, and some of the elves are on edge." Mirra pleaded.

"I'm sorry, but I have no intention of leaving." He answered.

"Fine, maybe we can compromise." Mirra's said.

"She keeps her composure, even when facing down an unknown and armed human. A true gift, wouldn't you say, Valendrian?" The human says as Valendrian, the leader of the alienage, joins the group. _Oops._

"I would say the world has far more use of those who know how to stay their blades. It is good to see you, my old friend. It has been far too long."

"I'm sorry, I had no idea..." Mirra's started.

"I was hardly forthcoming. I apologize." The stranger said with a nod.

"May I present Duncan, head of the Grey Wardens in Ferelden." Valendrian added.

"Why would a Grey Warden come here?" Mirra's asked.

"The worst has happened; a Blight has begun. King Cailan summons the Grey Wardens to Ostagar to fight the darkspawn horde alongside his armies."

"Yes, I had heard the news. Still, this is an awkward time. There is to be a wedding. Two, in fact." Valendrian said.

"So I see. By all means, attend to your ceremonies. My concerns can wait, for now." Duncan replied.

"Very well. Children, treat Duncan as my guest. And for the Makers sake, take your places!" Valendrian told them.

"Please, do not let me interrupt further. We shall speak more later." Duncan added before walking off.

"Ready, Soris?" Mirra asked. _I know I'm not._

"Let's go". Soris answered without much enthusiasm.

They mounted the stage in the center of the Alienage. Valendrian and the human Chantry sister were already there, along with the bridesmaids and groomsmen.

The ceremony had just gotten started when a large group of humans entered the square, headed up by Vaughan himself. _Oh no._ Mirra's started looking around for a weapon. _Damn wedding dress._

"Milord? This is an unexpected surprise." The chantry sister said after she was aware of his presence.

"Sorry to interrupt, Mother, but I'm having a party and were dreadfully short of female guests." Vaughan said as he mounted the stage with long strides. A shadow drew across Mirra's vision.

"Milord, this is a wedding!" The sister exclaimed.

"Ha! If you want to dress up your pets and have tea parties, that's your business. But don't pretend this is a proper wedding." Vaughan said with a laugh. "Now, we're here for a good time, aren't we boys?"

One of the other shems answered, "Just a good time with the ladies, that's all." They were all laughing at this point. Mirra's lips formed a thin line.

"Let's take those two, the one in the tight dress, and...where's the bitch that bottled me?" Vaughan announced.

"Over here, Lord Vaughan!" Another announced next to Shianni. _Damnit. Why didn't I bring my weapons?_

"Let me go you..." Shianni started.

"Oh, I'll enjoy taming her. And see the pretty bride.." Vaughan glanced back at Mirra, who was glaring daggers at this point.

"Don't worry, I won't let them take you." Nelaros said.

"I won't let them take Shianni." Mirra said.

"Ah, yes...such a well formed little thing." Vaughan added.

"You villains!" Nelaros said, though Mirra thought it was fairly obvious by this point.

"That's quite enough. I'm sure we all want to avoid further unpleasantness." Vaughan said inches from Mirra.

"Take me, but let the others go." Mirra told him.

"That wouldn't be much of a party then, would it? Oh, we are going to have some fun." Vaughan said, then hit her with the perfect uppercut, rendering her unconscious.

00000000

Mirra woke in a room with the girls that had been snatched. The room looked like a room in a noble's estate. Fancy drapes and expensive furniture. No windows. Very solid door. Mirra didn't like it at all. _Damn it. Not fast enough. _She was annoyed at herself for not anticipating the punch.

"Oh, thank the maker you've come to. We were so worried." Shianni said once she pulled herself off the floor.

"That human is going to die." Mirra said.

"Glad you've still got some fight in you." Shianni said.

"They locked us in here until that bastard is 'ready' for us". Valora said.

"We'll kill the first human who comes through that door." Mirra said with conviction.

One of the other ladies did not share her confidence. "But we're five unarmed women, what makes you think we can kill anyone?" Mirra rolled her eyes. "Look, we'll do what they want, go home, and try to forget this ever happened!"

"She's right. It will be worse if we resist." Valora said. Mirra was not impressed with Soris' bride to be.

"It will be worse if we don't!" Shianni said.

"Someone's coming." One of the girls said.

"Be quiet. Don't do anything until I say." Mirra said. A group of guards entered the room. The head of the group was a huge man more than six feet tall made of solid muscle. He had several scars across his face, some of which looked suspiciously like fingernail marks.

"Ello wenches. We're your escorts to Lord Vaughan's little party." The huge man said.

"Stay away from us!" Nola said before she was cut down by a massive swing from the huge man's sword.

"You killed her!" One of the other ladies said.

"Ah suppose that's what happens when you try teachin whores respect. Now, you grab the little flower hidin in the corner. You two take the homey bride 'n the drunk. Me 'n the rest o' the boys have been instructed to take the pretty scrapper 'n break her." Mirra didn't like the sound of that at all.

Shianni tried to resist, but two guards easily overpowered her. "Cousin!" She yelled as she was dragged from the room. Once the door was shut the huge man approached Mirra, dropping the lower portion of his armor on the way.

"Don't resist too much, love. I'd hate to have to kill you. Not that it matters much to my pecker. Yeh'll still be warm for a while."

Mirra's vision went red. She waited until he was the perfect distance away, then kicked quickly. His 'pecker' as he called it, took the brunt of the impact, and he went down with a thud. The other four guards rushed her and slammed her to the ground. Mirra saw stars for a minute. They held her there until the huge man was able to speak. It took several minutes.

"You... Bitch." He said finally, spit flying from his mouth. "You're going ta remember this." He pulled himself up. "Each of you grab a limb 'n spread her wide."

"No!" Mirra said, vainly trying to resist the four men, but each of them outweighed her. She had no hope against them. Each grabbed an arm or leg then forced it straight. They pinned her legs at an angle way past comfortable. The wedding dress tore in several locations. She was completely helpless. She thrashed against their hold.

"Good." The huge man said. He kneeled between her legs and reached up to the neckline of her dress. Mirra was shaking back and forth, trying to pull an arm free. _No, no, no, no!_ He ripped her dress straight down the front, tearing her underclothes with it. She was completely naked. Mirra had never felt this exposed before. Tears were pouring from her eyes as she tried to pull free again and again. "That's better. Now she's starting to look like the whore she is." He paused, watching her squirm. "Needs somethin else. Somethin permanent." Mirra's eyes went wide, and her skin got even more pale.

The huge man got up and walked to the fireplace. He pulled a poker from the stand. "This'll do." He said, then stuck the tip into the fire. Mirra fought against her captors desperately for the next few minutes to no avail. The huge man pulled the poker out of the fire and looked at it closely. It was glowing orange. "Perfect." He said, then walked back over to Mirra. "Hold 'er still, boys." The guards holding her arms leaned on her shoulders with all their weight. Mirra froze as she listened to the searing metal get near.

The huge man dragged the blazing hot poker over the skin on her chest. The pain was excruciating. The searing sound was horrific. The smell was nauseating. Mirra screamed until she was hoarse. Tears were pouring out of her eyes. Her muscles were completely useless against her attackers. After only a minute he was done, and Mirra felt completely ruined. The word 'WHORE' stood out in perfect burned and bleeding detail on her upper chest. The marks in her skin would stop smoking soon, but the marks in her mind would last a very long time. "Now to tear her the rest o' the way." The huge man dropped his trousers.

The door opened. "Ah said ah didn't want to be disturbed!" The huge man yelled over his shoulder.

"Excuse me." A small elven voice said. _Soris! _The huge man turned his head in shock.

"Lookie here, boys. Little elf found hisself a sword." The huge man started to chuckle.

The guard holding her left leg let up a little bit. Mirra quickly yanked her limb free and kicked across her body at the guard holding her right arm, who crumpled when her foot connected with his head.

"Mirra!" Soris tossed a sword at her, then pulled out a crossbow. Mirra grabbed the sword with her right hand.

"Sod." Several of the guards said at once. As Mirra dispatched the last two guards still holding her Soris put an arrow through the guard at her leg. The huge man was still trying to pull his pants back up. Mirra pulled herself up, tears still pouring from her eyes. Her vision was still red. Her legs, arms, and chest should be killing her, but she couldn't feel anything. The tattered remains of her dress billowed around her as she stalked towards the huge man, who finally pulled his pants back up.

"Come on whore, show me what ye've got." He was trying to get into some kind of fighting stance. Mirra whipped the sword through a quick arc upward, splitting his pelvic bone, along with most of the fleshy bits in that area. The huge man fell over backward howling in pain, trying to hold himself together. Mirra planted one of her feet upon his chest and looked directly into his face.

"It is a kindness to kill you now." Then she split his throat all the way through to his spinal column. He bled out in seconds.

Soris looked at her with wide eyes, then quickly looked away. Mirra looked down at herself, then wrapped the shreds of her dress around her as well as she could. Her tears were still falling. "Don't tell anyone about this." She told him.

"Never." He answered.

Mirra found the smallest guard and removed his armor. Soris checked the rest for anything useful. Mirra took the man's shirt and pants as well. While Soris guarded the door she changed into the clothes and armor. She moved stiffly through the process of pulling the clothes over herself. The pain and outrage still burned through her mind, along with the realization that she could never show her body to another person. The shame would destroy her. The blood on her chest instantly soaked through the shirt, and it stung. The armor hurt when she draped it over her chest, but she would need it for vengeance she was to enact. The huge guard had a large sword that Mirra decided to use two handed.

"Let's go get the rest of the girls, Soris." She told him before walking out the door.

"Nelaros is down the hall. Duncan gave us his sword and crossbow. We think they took the rest of the girls into Vaughan's chambers."

Nelaros had been killed before they arrived. Mirra found a wedding band in his pocket. She was instantly sad. _If only he had been promised to someone else, he would have been a fine husband to someone other than me._

They met guards and bodyguards on the way to Shianni and the rest of the girls. None of them stood against the vengeance embodied within Mirra. Her new sword cleaved a bloody trail through the palace leaving none living. In time they found Vaughan and his cronies standing over Shianni. She did not appear to be enjoying herself. Mirra's eyes narrowed to slits.

"My, my. What have we here?" Vaughan said.

"Don't worry. We'll make quick work of these two." One of his fellow lordlings said.

"Quiet, you idiot. They're covered with enough blood to fill a tub. What do you think that means?" Vaughan yelled at them.

"You will die, very soon, I think." Mirra told him.

"All right, let's not be too hasty here. Surely we can talk this over..."

"You really think you can talk your way out of this? I'm going to mount your head on my wall!" Mirra growled at him.

"Bah! I always regret talking to knife ears! Now I'll just have to gut your ignorant carcasses, instead!"

The battle didn't last nearly long enough for Mirra's satisfaction. _Male shems are a Blight upon this earth. _Vaughan's head rolled into a corner.

"He... He's dead." Soris said. "Tell me we did the right thing cousin."

Mirra glanced at Shianni on the floor. "At least Shianni is safe now."

"Cousin?" Shianni was talking to her. Mirra kneeled by her side. Soris went to look for the other girls.

"Shianni, are you ok?" Mirra asked.

"Don't leave me alone...please... Please, take me home." Shianni pleaded.

"I'm with you Shianni"

"Did you kill them?" Shianni asked.

"Like the dogs they are, Shianni." Mirra answered.

"Good, good.". Shianni noticed the bloody shirt under Mirra's armor. "Did they hurt you?" She asked.

Mirra's face flushed. "Don't worry about that. How are you feeling?" Mirra asked

"Just take me away from here, please." Shianni asked. Soris showed up with the rest of the girls.

Mirra crouched and picked Shianni up. They walked to the Alienage like that.

00000000

Valendrian and Duncan were waiting when they reached the Alienage.

"You have returned. Has Shianni been hurt? Where is Tormey's daughter, Nola?" Valendrian asked. Mirra put Shianni on her feet.

"Nola didn't make it. She resisted, and..." Valora started.

"They killed her." Shianni finished.

"Nelaros, too. The guards killed him as well." Soris added.

"I see. Would the rest of you ladies please take Shianni home? She needs rest." Valendrian said resignedly. Valora and the others led them off, leaving Mirra and Soris. "Now tell me, what happened? How badly are you hurt?"

"Vaughan's dead. He left me no choice. I am fine, I'll pick something up at the store." Mirra answered.

"Then the garrison could already be on their way. You have little time." Duncan said.

"We may need to leave Denerim for a while." Mirra said.

"The guards are here!" An elf shouted.

"Don't panic. Let's see what comes of this." Valendrian said.

Five well armed guards walked towards them.

"I seek Valendrian, elder and administrator of the Alienage." The lead guard announced.

"Here, captain. I take it you have come in response to today's disruption?" Valendrian said.

"The arl's son lies dead in a river of blood that runs through the entire palace. I need names, and I need them now." The guard said.

"It was my doing." Mirra announced. _My life is over anyway, no need to ruin Soris' as well._

"You expect me to believe one woman did all of that?" The guard said with disbelief, glancing at the blood coating her armor.

"We are not all so helpless, Captain." Valendrian said, looking him in the eye.

"You save many by coming forward. I don't envy your fate, but I applaud your courage. This elf will wait in the dungeons until the arl returns. The rest of you, back to your houses." The Captain said loudly.

"Captain... A word, if you please." Duncan interrupted.

"What is it Grey Warden? The situation is well under control, as you can see." The Captain said.

"Be that as it may, I hereby invoke the Grey Warden's Right of Conscription. I remove this woman into my custody." Duncan said. _Can he do that?_ Mirra looked at the shocked face of the guards.

"You can do that?" Mirra asked.

"Son of a tied down... Very well, Grey Warden; I cannot challenge your rights, but I'll ask one thing, Get this elf out of the city, today." The captain was glaring at Mirra, who was elated and confused at the same time.

"Agreed." Duncan said.

The Captain stalked off muttering something about dropping standards in the Wardens.

"You're with me now. Say your goodbyes, and see me when you're ready. We leave immediately." Duncan told her.

"Understood." Mirra said before turning to Soris.

"Thank you, you really saved my hide back there..." He said.

"I did what was right. I expected a quick trip to the gallows, I didn't want to take you with me." Mirra told him.

"As you always do. Well, I'd like to follow your example. No more daydreaming. I'm settling down. Valora's a good woman, and she has ideas on making life better for everyone here. Your father had the women take Shianni back to your place. Will you see her before you go?"

"Of course." Mirra said.

"Good luck, cousin. You've been my hero since we were kids. It's just official, now. Umm...". Soris looked uncomfortable. "I hope you don't scar." Soris added too low for the others to hear. Mirra nodded, then turned to Valendrian.

"Well, I guess Duncan got his recruit after all." He said.

"It was not my choice, elder." Mirra said.

"No, I wouldn't think so. Hopefully the rest of the world treats you better than this place. Goodbye, young one, and Maker keep you." Valendrian said before leaving to see to Nola's father.

Mirra first headed to the Alienage store to see Alarith. He wasn't open yet, but she banged on the door long enough that he opened.

"Mirra? What do you want?" Alarith asked, peeking out the door.

"Alarith, I need a few items desperately. After I get them, I would suggest staying closed today. I made a mess of things in the palace. The guards are likely to be unhappy for weeks." Mirra said

"Ok, come in. Let me know what you need."

Mirra picked up some pants, a new shirt with a high neck, some new underclothes, and a large poultice specially treated for burns.

"What do you need that for?" Alarith asked.

"You don't want to know," Mirra changed behind a curtain, wincing as she pulled the shirt off her fresh wounds. Then she applied the poultice and put her new clothes on.

When she came out from behind the curtain, Alarith handed her several healing potions. She looked up at him with confusion in her eyes.

"They're on the house. I can smell the blood from across the room." He said.

"Thanks Alarith. Good luck, I might not see you again." He nodded at her as she walked out of the shop.

Mirra headed quickly to see her father, who was standing outside their home.

"If this is what the maker has planned for you, then I guess it's for the best. Your mother would have been pleased." He said, though he looked quite sad.

"I hope so." Mirra said.

"Take care, my girl. Be safe. And wise. And... Well, you know. We'll all miss you." He said.

"I'll miss you too, father." Mirra said as she headed into her house.

Valora was waiting for her. "There you are... Thank you. For me, for Soris, for everything. Shianni is waiting for you in the back."

"You're welcome, Valora. You take care of Soris, now." Mirra said.

"I will. Thank you again." She left.

Mirra walked around the corner to see Shianni. She seemed in better spirits than before.

"You took all the responsibility for what happened. You're amazing, you know that?"

"I did what had to be done. How are you doing?" Mirra asked.

"I'm... All right. As far as the others know, Vaughan just roughed me up a bit. I just don't want them treating me like some fragile doll." She sighed. "I love you, cousin. I know you'll make us proud out there."

She hugged Mirra hard. Mirra took a sharp intake of breath. "What did they do to you, cousin?" Shianni asked with concern. She could feel the large bandage on her chest.

"Nothing to concern yourself about, Shianni. I'll miss you." Mirra said. Shianni looked at her dubiously as she walked away.

Once out of her house she ran back to Duncan. She knew she had taken much longer than he intended.

"Are you ready to go?" Duncan asked.

"I am." She said.

"Good. We leave for Ostagar immediately." He answered.


	2. Chapter 2

Marked with Shame

Chapter 2

Bioware owns rights to all characters.

Duncan could tell his newest recruit had some kind of wound on her chest, the bloody mess was pretty obvious. He could tell she did not want to discuss it with him as well, much less show it to him. He also knew she had a deep seated distrust for all humans, with good reason. All he could do is treat her with respect and wait till she came around. It didn't help that all her fellow recruits were human. He would have to keep a close eye on the others once they reached Ostagar.

He was still astounded about her escape from the palace. If even half the rumors were true she was an absolute fiend with that huge sword of hers. Duncan was amazed that she could wield it, the thing was almost as tall as she was. She was obviously very strong for her size.

Having lived in a city all her life, she didn't have any hunting skills to speak of, so collecting food for meals fell to him. This also allowed him to search for poultice ingredients. Every morning he left a new bandage for her. The first day she seemed shocked, but every day since she had nodded to him, then walked to her tent to change her bandage. She was even helping him cook after a few days. She would name a spice and he would tell her if it was available in the area, and what the plant looked like. It was encouraging. By the time they reached Ostagar she was fairly civil with him.

When the King decided to meet them at the gate Duncan was shocked, and worried. Mirra had bad experiences with human lords, and here was The Lord of them all introducing himself. He was mildly pleased when she showed the king some deference, though he could tell "Your Majesty" was coming out a little sarcastically. Duncan was a little worried when the king asked her about the Alienage, but fortunately she deflected the question. She could easily have ruined the civil atmosphere. Duncan was happy that Cailan didn't try to invite her to his tent, that would not have gone well.

After they finished talking to the King, he noticed her shaking her head, but decided not to engage her about it.

Mirra was not impressed with the peacock the humans had chosen as king, but she decided to be nice for Duncan's sake. He was strutting around in his golden armor and huge sword,(which she wouldn't have minded a few swings with) convinced with his own competence. At least he was going to participate in the battle, though she assumed he would be surrounded by a complement of bodyguards. It was obvious to her that Duncan was a much better fighter. She could tell by the way he moved.

She saw Duncan stiffen when the king inquired about the Alienage, so she deflected the question back at the king. It wasn't as diplomatic as she could have been, but diplomacy didn't seem all that important at the moment. Maybe he would actually look into the matter once he returned to Denerim, but she doubted it.

On the way to the main camp Duncan let her know that he didn't think the Blight would be as easily solved as the king was assuming. Without the death of the archdemon, it would not end. It also wouldn't end without a Grey Warden, though he didn't elaborate.

When they reached the camp he told her to seek out another Grey Warden by the name of Alistair, and not to leave the camp. He then headed off to the Grey Warden tent. On the way to meet Alistair she met an elder Mage. All mages in the Alienage were taken away to the Circle as soon as they were discovered, usually at a very young age. The mages in the marketplace all treated her like she was trying to rob them. Mirra hadn't met any that treated her like a person before. The mage's name was Wynne, and they discussed the fade and the Black city for a time. She tired of the preachy nature of the discussion eventually, and headed off to find Alistair.

Mirra found Alistair arguing with a Mage. He got somewhat cheeky with the Mage, so it didn't end well.

"You know, one good thing about the Blight is how it brings people together." He said to her after the Mage left.

"You are a very strange human." Mirra told him.

"You're not the first to tell me that. Wait, we haven't met, have we? I don't suppose you happen to be another Mage?"

Mirra looked down at her armor, then checked to make sure her sword was still on her back. _Still there. Strange human indeed. _"No, I'm not a Mage, and we haven't met. You must be Alistair."

"And that makes you Duncan's new recruit, I suppose. Glad to meet you. As the junior member of the order, I'll be accompanying you when you prepare for the Joining."

"I'm Mirra. Shall we move on?" She said, not wanting to spend too much time alone with him.

"Right, that was the name." Alistair said before they set off to see Duncan.

As they headed to Duncan a rugged looking human stopped her. She was immediately on guard, since he was human, but he was polite, so Mirra decided to listen. He was the kennel master in charge of the wardogs. He needed some assistance with a Mabari that was not well. This particular one was larger than her, but seemed docile enough. Mirra didn't have much trouble with the mutts back in the Alienage, so she stepped right into the cage and approached the dog. Alistair was mortified. The new recruit was going to be killed by a Mabari before she had even seen a darkspawn.

The dog was momentarily confused by the small stature of the person approaching it, but the person's posture and lack of fear showed the dog its dominance. It sat back on its haunches and let it apply the muzzle.

The kennel master was pleased. Alistair just stared at her with wide eyes. Mirra shook her head at him. The kennel master asked her to look for a specific flower if she was out in the Wilds around camp; it would help cure the Mabari. She promised she would. They headed to the fire where Duncan was waiting.

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Mirra, Alistair, and the other two recruits were slashing their way through another group of darkspawn in the wilderness. Mirra and the other recruits were supposed to collect some darkspawn blood and some scrolls from an ancient Warden tower. Daveth was actually quite good with his bow and arrows, and his attitude wasn't bad either. He was kind of a lecher, but he wasn't trying to force himself upon her, so she didn't mind too much. Ser Jory was a wuss. He complained a lot, and seemed to be in the Grey Wardens for glory alone. It didn't help that he used the same kind of weapon she did. She hoped they didn't find any nice two-handers or they might come to blows.

Mirra found the darkspawn to be very ugly, and she was surprised at their skill in battle. She thought they would be mindless creatures, barely able to swing a weapon effectively, but they had some of the same skills as her little group. Some of the smaller ones could go invisible. Some of the larger ones would knock you over with their shield. They even had spell casters with a range of painful spells. Because of their magic ability, she was sorely tempted to discuss Templar training with Alistair, though that would mean an actual conversation with the shem. She hadn't been around him long enough to trust him quite yet. They had long since collected the darkspawn blood Duncan requested, now they were trying to reach the warden tower to retrieve the scrolls. Mirra could tell from a distance the tower no longer stood, so she was worried about the scrolls.

She finished up the last Hurlock with a great swing of her sword, chopping it in half. "That tower is not looking good, Alistair. What happens if we don't find any scrolls?"

"I'm not sure. Let's not give up hope yet." Alistair answered. Just then Mirra stepped on a trap. It clamped down on her foot, but didn't break through her armored boots.

"This would be quite unpleasant if we were in the middle of fighting." She said while trying to pull apart the offending metal. _Three warriors and one archer is not an ideal party. We need someone who can see these things, some kind of rogue or thief. It would be nice to have a Mage too. _Alistair helped her pry it apart. She flexed her foot to make sure all was well.

"Looks like one more group of darkspawn before we reach the tower." Alistair said.

Mirra nodded and headed towards the group, staying behind cover to draw out the archers. The first one that reached her was split in two. Then Ser Jory insisted on running around the cover and took a few arrows for his stupidity, luckily they didn't penetrate deeply.

"Alistair, help that fool. I'll take out the archers." Mirra saw a pair of archers close together. She split the gap between them, then swung her sword in a mighty circle, hitting both of them in the thigh. Both lowered their guard enough that she was able to remove their heads. She turned to check on the rest of the group, only to narrowly avoid a huge axe swung by a well armored foe. This darkspawn was definitely a step above the rest. She attempted to block the second swing of the axe with her sword, only to feel the vibrations deep into her shoulder. She wasn't going to try that again. She had to rely on her agility rather than strength for this one. She hopped back for another horizontal axe swing, waiting for the perfect angle. Finally he threw both hands over his head for a mighty two handed attack. Mirra dodged to the side and threw her sword around herself, coming back around to sever its arms as it buried its axe into the ground. The darkspawn howled in rage for a brief moment, then she chopped off its head.

She looked around to find Alistair finishing off the last Hurlock. Jory was out cold on the ground, and Daveth was looking for a shot on Alistair's beast. The Hurlock finally went down with an arrow to the chest. Jory came to after a few seconds and they headed to the tower.

It was clear the scrolls were no longer in the chest. The tower was a ruin, and the chest was smashed. Mirra was looking it over when a new voice entered their midst.

"Well, well. What have we here?" Mirra turned quickly to see a pretty human woman with brown hair and strange clothing. "Are you a vulture, I wonder? A scavenger poking amidst a corpse whose bones were long since cleaned. Or merely an intruder, come into these darkspawn-filled Wilds of mine in search of easy prey?" The woman paused. "What say you, hmm? Scavenger or intruder?" She demanded with her arms crossed. Her wine colored top was revealing enough to be distracting to Mirra, and most likely the fellows with her.

"I am neither. The Grey Wardens once owned this tower." Mirra answered.

"'Tis a tower no longer. The Wilds have obviously claimed this desiccated corpse. I have watched your progress for some time. 'Where do they go,' I wondered, 'why are they here? And now you disturb ashes none have touched for so long. Why is that?" The lady said, walking past them to gaze out over the forest.

"Don't answer her, she looks Chasind, and that means others may be nearby." Alistair said. Mirra gave him a look. The lady didn't seem threatening to her, though she had lived most of her life in the city. Maybe people in the wilds had different vocal inflections when displaying aggression.

"You fear barbarians will swoop down upon you?" The lady said with an exaggerated gesture.

"Yes, swooping is bad." Alistair said. Mirra smirked at him. Daveth and Jory started rambling on about witches and toads. Mirra barely had the patience to listen to them. It was pathetic. If this 'witch' were trying to set them up for an ambush she wouldn't have started talking to them in the first place. They would have attacked while all four of them were picking through the pieces of the chest, or even better while they were in the midst of a darkspawn battle. If she wanted to turn them into toads she could have done so from a comfortable distance. Only Alistair had spell resistance of any kind. They would be easy pickings.

"Witch of the Wilds? Such idle fancies, those legends. Have you no minds of your own? Girls are not frightened like these little boys. Tell me your name and I shall tell you mine." She said the last part directly to Mirra.

"I am Mirra. Pleased to meet you." Alistair was in shock. Other than Duncan, Mirra had treated all the men with barely contained contempt. And here she was talking to an apostate witch as if she was meeting the reverend mother, falling short of a curtsy.

"That is a proper greeting, even out here in the Wilds. And you may call me Morrigan, if you wish." Morrigan smiled at Mirra. Soon after Morrigan revealed that her mother had taken the scrolls, and she would take them to her. During the trek Alistair hung back a ways, just in case the witch decided to pull something. But Mirra was walking next to the witch, asking about the areas they passed through, as if walking through a new friend's house for the first time. Alistair was baffled. Did the girl have no idea how dangerous this human could be?

Morrigan introduced them to her mother, who seemed a little odd, but nothing worse than the crazies who hung out in the Denerim market. She spoke in riddles and was hard to follow, but nothing too complex.

"And what of you? Does your elven mind give you a different viewpoint? What do you believe?" Morrigan's mother asked Mirra after rambling for a while. Once again Alistair waited to see how she would react.

"I'm not sure what to believe." Mirra answered.

"A statement which contains more wisdom than it seems. So much about you is uncertain... And yet I believe. Do I? Why, it seems I do!" She said.

"They did not come to listen to your wild tales, mother." Morrigan said.

"True, they came for their treaties, yes? And before you begin barking, your precious seal wore off long ago. I have protected these." She said, handing them over.

"Thank you for returning them." Mirra said. Alistair's jaw dropped. She was treating the elder witch with the same respect she treated Morrigan. It was a complete reversal from all the other recruits.

"Such manners! It's always in the last place you look, like stockings!" The witch said with a laugh. "Oh, don't mind me. You have what you came for!"

"Time for you to go, then." Morrigan added.

"Do not be ridiculous, girl. These are your guests." The witch said.

"Oh, very well. I will show you out of the woods. Follow me." Morrigan said before leading them into the woods. After the short journey she left them in view if the camp. Mirra was disappointed when she left. Morrigan had been very polite to her for a shem, and it was nice to have another female around.

Duncan was pleased when they returned successfully. The Joining was to begin immediately. They gathered in a sheltered area of the camp surrounded by huge pillars of stone. Once they had gathered for the ceremony Duncan let them know exactly what the Joining involved. Mirra was a little disgusted to find she would be drinking the blood of the darkspawn, but she was committed.

Daveth took his drink, then collapsed. Mirra was shocked, but with a look to Duncan she realized this could happen. He looked disappointed and sad, not shocked. Mirra steeled herself.

Jory didn't take Daveth's failure well. He started sputtering about glory and his child. _What did he think this was about?_ Then he pulled his sword out and threatened Duncan. Mirra knew that was a mistake. In seconds it was all over, and Jory was lying in a pool of his own blood.

Mirra didn't hesitate when Duncan handed her the cup. _Might as well get it over with. _She took a drink. _Maker, that is awful. _Then she lost her footing and a mental image clouded her vision. _What the hell is that? Is that a dragon? Is it speaking to me?_

She woke to Duncan and Alistair looking down at her. She pulled herself up. "Is that thing the archdemon?" She asked them.

"The dreams are part of our ability to sense the darkspawn." Duncan told her.

Duncan told her to take some time to collect herself, then join him in a meeting with the king.

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The meeting was well underway by the time she arrived. The king was arguing with one of his advisors. The king insisted that he was to be on the front line with the Grey Wardens, and the advisor in a grey suit of armor was attempting to change his mind. The king got his way in the end, and declared that Mirra and Alistair light a beacon in the Tower of Ishal to alert the bulk of the army to attack.

Back at the Grey Warden camp, Alistair was unhappy. "We're not going to fight in the battle?"

"This is by the King's personal request. We have little choice." Duncan told him.

"I am ready." Mirra added.

Alistair sighed. "So am I."

"Good. Light the beacon once the signal is given. Alistair will know the signal. Maker watch over you." Duncan said.

"You too, Duncan." Alistair said.

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Mirra and Alister were fighting their way through the tower, which had been overrun with darkspawn from somewhere. A Mage and warrior had joined them at the base of the tower, and were helping quite a bit. Mirra had been astounded when the mage ignited her sword. The extra damage was very nice. Maybe she could convince the Mage to join them on their journey. They battled through several floors of darkspawn on their way to the top of the tower. Now they were on the third floor with only one more to reach the beacon.

"Do you hear that, Alistair?" Mirra asked him, listening to a noise coming from the floor above.

"Hear what?" He asked in return, standing still so he could hear.

"The deep rhythmic thuds coming from above us. It is making me nervous."

Alistair listened for a minute or so. "Well, it is definitely not giving me a warm fuzzy feeling. But we have to go up there, so we'll find out what it is soon enough."

One more room full of genlocks and they were looking at stairs. "Well, no time like the present." Mirra said, then rushed through the door.

The four of them quickly stopped in shock. The beast they faced had to be ten feet tall, and its arms were thicker than Alistair. It had huge horns on its head and its skin looked like stone. It was chewing on something that looked remotely like a studded leather chestpiece. _Got to get your fiber, I guess._

Mirra didn't even know where to start. _Well, the ankles look like the weakest location. Let's try the tendon back there. _She yelled at Alistair, "Keep it busy!" and ran around one side.

"Sure, no problem." He answered. He started yelling insults at it, though he really didn't know whether the thing knew his language. It did the trick. The thing tossed the bit of leather aside and approached him. The Mage started shooting bolts at it. Alistair wasn't sure how much it would do, but the help was appreciated. He was wondering what Mirra was up to when the beast suddenly howled in pain. Then whipped one of its feet back in a swift kick that sent Mirra flying across the room.

"Ouch." Mirra said out loud. It felt like one of her ribs had cracked. _No time to check the damage, got to get up._ She pulled herself to her feet, only to notice the beast heading in her direction. "Alistair, please?" She hobbled away from the creature as quickly as she could manage. She saw Alistair and the other warrior trying to snag its attention with shouts and blows. Just before it grabbed her the other warrior got its attention with a lucky shot to the leg she'd wounded. The warrior tried to back away from the beast, but it moved quickly enough to grab him. It picked him up and started pounding into its chest with its fist.

Mirra could tell he wasn't going to last long. She heaved her sword over her head and brought it down on the beast's leg with all her strength. She finally managed to sever the tendon and the beast toppled, throwing the warrior across the room. She ran over to check on him, but he was out cold. She wasn't sure if he would make it.

When she looked back to the horned thing it was still laid out on the ground, unable to pick itself up. It was swinging its arms, wildly trying to grab Alistair. She caught his eye and nodded at him, then aimed a swing intended to pull its attention in a hurry, right between the horns on its head. With a solid thunk she got its attention, and tried to back away quickly. When it reached back to grab her she almost dodged, but didn't. Her ribs screamed with the pressure. It brought her around to start beating her when Alistair leaped onto its chest and buried his sword in its neck, severing the artery there. It dropped Mirra to the ground right before Alistair brought his sword through to the other side of its neck. It stopped moving.

Mirra ran to the other warrior to check on him. He was still out cold. Alistair lit the beacon just as a flood of darkspawn ran into the room. Mirra felt several arrows pierce her chest and the room went dark.

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Mirra awoke in a strange room. She was in her underclothes in bed. She pulled herself up and looked around to see Morrigan, the witch she had met earlier in the wilds.

"Ah, your eyes finally open. Mother shall be pleased." Morrigan said.

"I remember you, the girl from the wilds." Mirra told her.

"I am Morrigan, lest you have forgotten. And we are in the Wilds, where I am bandaging you wounds. Though I was unable to do anything about the scars you already had." Mirra instantly pulled the sheet up to cover the horrible word, looking away in shame. "Twas quite a shock to Mother and I. I do hope the man responsible was brought to justice." Mirra gave a quick nod, still trying not to look at her. "How does your memory fare. Do you remember Mother's rescue?" Morrigan asked. Mirra was surprised she didn't dwell on the scars.

After a pause to glance at Morrigan, "I remember being overwhelmed by darkspawn..."

"Mother managed to save both you and your friend, though 'twas a close call. The man who was to respond to your signal quit the field. The darkspawn won your battle. Those he abandoned were massacred. Your friend... He is not taking it well." Morrigan said.

"My friend? You mean Alistair?" Mirra asked, still not looking directly at her.

"The suspicious, dim-witted one who was with you before, yes. He is outside by the fire. Mother asked to see you when you awoke." She said.

"Thank you for helping me, Morrigan." Mirra said.

"I... You are welcome. Though mother did most of the work. I am no healer." Morrigan said.

"I will go, then." Mirra told her, then tried to reach her shirt without letting go of the covers.

"I will stay, and make something to eat." Morrigan said while handing Mirra her clothes.

Morrigan's mother turned out to be Flemeth, a witch of some renown. She apparently saved Mirra and Alistair because she was worried about the Blight, which was more threatening than it appeared. Once Mirra and Alistair convinced her that they were indeed going to follow the Grey Warden creed and defeat the Blight, Flemeth dropped a tiny request on them. They had to take Morrigan with them. Mirra was strangely not upset.


	3. Chapter 3

Marked with Shame

Chapter 3

Bioware owns rights to all characters.

Mirra was pleased Morrigan was with them, though she wished she was more eager to join them. Morrigan's mother practically shoved her out the door. During the short jaunt to Lothering, a location suggested by Morrigan, Mirra attempted to converse with her, but her only interest was magic, a subject Mirra knew little about. She was kind enough to put a cold enchantment on all their weapons.

Somewhere along the way a Mabari ran right up to Mirra and started running in circles around her. She wasn't sure, but it could be the dog that she helped heal, so long ago in Ostagar. It certainly didn't seem to be threatening them. Mirra was about to pull out a scrap of food for the dog when she noticed a group of darkspawn rounding a corner towards them. The Mabari got in a crouch and started growling.

"I guess you don't like them any more than I do, boy. Let's play." Mirra pulled out her weapon and started running. The dog chased her down, and Alistair followed close behind. Morrigan started turning them into chunks of ice, which Mirra gleefully smashed. In moments it was all over.

"I guess we should name you..." Mirra started, petting the head of the dog.

"Are we actually considering taking this mangy beast with us as well? We already have Alistair." Morrigan said.

"He's not mangy." Alistair added.

"I'll name him Rex. Does that work for you?" Mirra asked the dog. She couldn't tell if he was pleased or not, he was jumping around excitedly during the entire conversation. Most likely he was happy to have found her.

The rest of the journey to Lothering was uneventful. They decided to pick up supplies in the tavern. Unfortunately someone was looking for them, several someones.

"Well, look what we have here, men. I think we've just been blessed." A well armored man approached their party as soon as they walked in.

"Uh oh. Logain's men. This can't be good." Alistair said.

The men continued. "Didn't we spend all morning asking about an elf by this very description? And everyone said they hadn't seen one? It seems we were lied to."

Then a chantry sister interrupted, walking towards them, "Gentlemen, surely there is no need for trouble. These are no doubt simply more poor souls seeking refuge." Mirra glanced at her briefly; her accent was intriguing, and she was quite pretty for a human. Mirra quickly focussed back upon Logain's men. _This is not the time to enjoy the scenery._

"They're more than that. Now stay out of our way, Sister. You protect these traitors, you'll get the same as them." The men said. _Another shem asshole. Surprise, surprise._

"It looks like he wants a fight. I'm happy to oblige." Mirra said, then pulled her sword from her back.

The battle didn't last long. For 'battle hardened soldiers' these guys needed some more training. The captain was kneeling on the floor after it was all over. Mirra had gotten a good shot in on his knee, and he couldn't stand on it any more.

"All right, you've won! We surrender!" He yelled.

"Good. They've learned their lesson and we can all stop fighting, now." The sister said.

"Take a message to Logain." Mirra told him.

"W-What do you want to tell him?" The man asked.

"The Grey Wardens know what really happened." Mirra said.

"I'll tell him. Right away. Now. Thank you!" He said before hobbling out the door with the assistance of another soldier.

The sister approached the party, "I apologize for interfering, but I couldn't just sit by and not help."

"Where does a sister learn to fight like that?" Mirra asked her.

"I wasn't born in the Chantry, you know. Many of us had more... Colorful lives before we joined. Let me introduce myself. I am Leliana, one of the lay sisters of the chantry here in Lothering. Or I was." Leliana told them. She really was quite beautiful, distractingly so.

"I am Mirra. It's a pleasure."

"They said you were a Grey Warden. I'm surprised you're an elf, but elves must want the Blight defeated as much as humans, no? I know after what happened, you'll need all the help you can get. That's why I'm coming along." Mirra was shocked. _Why would anyone want to join us?_

"Why so eager to come with me?" Mirra definitely needed help, but someone seeking to join a group already considered traitors by the crown was a bit out of the ordinary.

"The Maker told me to." She said.

"I... believe this is where I back away slowly and try to escape..." Mirra told her, but she wasn't quite that freaked out.

"I know that sounds...absolutely insane. But it's true! I had a dream...a vision." She said.

"More crazy? I thought we were all full up." Alistair said.

"Very well. I will not turn away help when it is offered." Mirra said. Alistair gasped from behind her.

"Perhaps your skull was cracked worse than mother thought." Morrigan said. Mirra looked back and gave her a crooked smile.

"Thank you! I appreciate being given this chance. I will not let you down." Leliana said before following them out of the tavern. Mirra thought it might be trouble to have Morrigan and Leliana around to distract her, but they would be useful in all other respects.

On the way out of town they were shocked to see a huge qunari locked in a cage not much larger than him.

"What on earth?" Mirra said. "Who would lock anyone in a cage such as this?"

"The reverend mother said he slaughtered an entire family, including women and children. She locked him up like this." Leliana told her.

"It is as she says. I am Sten of the Beresaad, the vanguard of the qunari people."

"I am Mirra. Pleased to meet you."

"You mock me. Or you show manners I have not come to expect in your lands." Sten said.

"You have committed a heinous crime, but I don't think your punishment matches the crime." Mirra said. "I find myself in need of skilled assistance. Would you be willing to join our cause if I convince the reverend mother to release you?"

"What cause would you need skilled help to overcome?" Sten asked.

"I am a Grey Warden and I need assistance to defeat the Blight."

"My people have heard legends of the Grey Wardens' strength and skill...though I suppose not every legend is true. If you can convince the reverend mother to release me, I will join your cause, and seek my atonement."

Mirra ignored the backhanded criticism. "I will see what I can do."

"I am obviously not going anywhere." Sten told her.

"To be left here to starve, or to be taken by the darkspawn...no one deserves that, not even a murderer." Leliana was proving her Chantry mercy. Mirra wondered if she left the Chantry, or was kicked out. "I should be able to help with the reverend mother."

A few minutes later they were heading back to the cage. The reverend mother had been surprisingly easy to convince. Either Leliana was more credible than she thought, or the mother was glad to be rid of the qunari. Mirra did not venture a guess.

"So be it." Sten said as Mirra drew open the door. Mirra handed him some armor they found on a bandit, along with a huge sword they had collected. Sten accepted them gratefully. A few paces around a corner Mirra found a locked chest left by the side of a building. She was just about to smash it open with her sword when Leliana spoke up, "I can get that for you." Mirra's eyes were wide as she watched the redhead pick the lock and open the chest in record time. The beautiful human had apparently had a very colorful past. Mirra would have to discuss it with her in private. Mirra gave her a smile when she rose to allow her access.

Once they had restocked for their journey they headed out of town to find a suitable camp location. Before getting completely out of town they had the misfortune to be attacked by unskilled peasants only trying to feed themselves. Mirra felt bad about having to kill them as she'd lived that kind of desperation. It was a shame the peasants didn't see the hopelessness of their battle until it was too late. Mirra had a heavy heart as they headed off to find a suitable spot to stay for the night.

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Leliana was standing next to the fire with Alistair and Sten. Their tents were arrayed a little further away from the fire around them. She was happy it wasn't too cold yet. They would all need thicker bedrolls before too much longer. Winter was definitely starting to bite at night. Morrigan's tent and camp fire were off a ways from the rest of them.

Leliana found herself pondering the leader of the group she had joined. Mirra was such a small little thing, yet she wielded a sword almost as large as her. Leliana watched as the elf had a long discussion with Morrigan. Apparently they had some report, as the witch seemed quite open to talking with her. When Leliana or Alistair tried to discuss anything with Morrigan they were treated with indifference, or open scorn if they discussed her apostate status.

Leliana reflected upon her own conversation with Mirra. She had asked about her vision, and though the elf was polite, Leliana could tell she didn't believe her interpretation of her vision. She glanced over to the elf again. She was remarkably pretty for one trained with such a heavy weapon. Her dark eyes had captivated Leliana when they talked. She would make an effort to get to know the pretty little girl, there was something about her.

Alistair was at a loss with Mirra. He was polite with her at every opportunity. Yet every attempt at normal conversation was met with one word answers or silence. Now they were at camp, and she made a point to talk to everyone in camp except for him. Morrigan had spoken with her at length. Mirra had short conversations with the qunari and the crazy chantry sister. She'd even spent several minutes playing with the dog.

When he'd forced the issue by bringing up their next stop, she had completely overruled him and stated that they would be going to the Circle of mages, not Redcliffe as he was hoping. She wanted the magic of the mages at their back before they went anywhere else.

She'd then wandered over to Sten, and was now sparring with him. It was a magnificent sight to watch him swing his huge sword down on her and see her block it. She was obviously not as strong as him, but after deflecting or dodging one of his blows, she was frequently able to whip her weapon under his defenses to make a solid hit. By the end of their session they were both sweating, and Sten was thanking her for the practice.

Leliana was breathless after the sparring match between Mirra and Sten. There were a few times she thought the girl would be crushed, such were the force behind the blows. But the elf managed to dodge or deflect the blow every time. Also, her recovery came with remarkable quickness, cutting under the giant's defenses with rogue like speed. Watching her lithe body leap and lunge made Leliana's heart beat fast. Now Mirra was sitting at Morrigan's fire in silence, resting. Yes, Leliana would make an effort to get to know this elf.

Morrigan stood quietly at her fire, pondering her day. Her mother had forced her upon these Wardens. Alistair was a trainee Templar and spouted apostate nonsense at every opportunity. The sister was likely considering similar apostate musings. The elf was a shock. She had been raised in an Alienage, surrounded by Chantry images and rules. But she discussed magic with Morrigan as though she was disappointed to lack the ability. During their discussion about Morrigan's shape shifting ability she had expressed dismay that she would be unable to train for it, mentioning how useful the skill would be. Now the elf was sitting with her at her fire, and Morrigan could tell a question was coming. An uncomfortable one, if she was any judge. Mirra was opening her mouth to speak, then glancing around the camp to see if anyone else had moved close enough to hear, then closing her mouth. Would it be about Morrigan's mother? Maybe about her past interactions with Templars.

Morrigan rolled her eyes and made the plunge, "'Twould be best if you asked your question, Mirra. No one is nearby." Mirra twitched, then turned to Morrigan and gave her a smile.

"That obvious, huh? Sorry Morrigan. I was wondering..." She paused, possibly searching for the correct word. "I know that healing is not your forte..." Morrigan was thrown, the question wasn't about her at all. _Was it about Mirra's..._ "But I was wondering if you knew about any spells that might heal scars? Or at least make them less visible?"

_Ah yes, that hideous scar on her chest. _She wouldn't wish that on anyone, much less the polite elf who had treated her with such respect. "'Twould be presumptive of me to say there exists no spell to solve your problem, but I do not know of any spell personally. I do know of a poultice that could reduce the visibility, though I will admit burn scars are the worst to treat." Mirra looked downcast. "Give me a few minutes and I'll make you the poultice."

Morrigan paused then looked back at Mirra. "I hesitate to mention this, because it would be incredibly painful." Mirra looked up. "'Twas a while ago, but mother mentioned a man who had a terrible burn scar on one of his legs. 'Twas so bad he could barely walk. Because he was an incredibly strong willed man, and desperately needed to walk, they had a strong friend cleave off the entire scar and a healthy potion of his leg. Then a large group of healers poured all their healing power into his leg. His leg healed completely." She paused to make sure Mirra was listening. After Mirra looked up she added, "I would emphasize that we should discuss the issue with a skilled healer before we go to those lengths. I'll be right back with that poultice." She left Mirra sitting by the fire as she collected ingredients.

Once Morrigan completed the poultice Mirra faced away from the rest of the camp and unbuttoned her shirt. As Morrigan applied the bandage Mirra looked away. Morrigan tried to stay detached as Mirra allowed one tear to drop, but it was difficult. She was growing fond the elf, in spite of herself. After the poultice was applied Mirra quickly walked to her tent and disappeared inside.

Leliana watched her go, wondering what was going on.

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The next day on the road they met up with a merchant who was eager to be rid of a golem control rod. It baffled Mirra since she was pretty sure golems were rare and valuable. _Why would a merchant give one away?_

Mirra assumed there was a trap waiting for them wherever this golem was located, or the merchant was insane. They left the merchant and headed towards the town he mentioned. She took a look back at the Chantry sister. "Are you any good at finding traps, sister?"

"I would say so, yes. And please call me Leliana." The red head responded.

"How far in advance? Would you need to be in front of us?" Mirra asked.

"Definitely not. I can see them from several yards away, normally. As long as you aren't running I should see them in plenty of time to sound a warning." Leliana told her.

"Good, because I think we're walking into a trap." Mirra said.

"I will remain vigilant." Leliana told her with a smile.

"Thank you, Leliana." Mirra returned the smile. She was beginning to like this possibly crazy former Chantry sister.

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When they arrived at Honnleath they discovered no trap, but quite a lot of darkspawn. As they entered the town proper several villagers ran past them. Mirra immediately pulled out her weapon and heard her companions follow suit. Several genlocks and hurlocks rounded the corner, presumably chasing the humans. They came up short when they noticed Mirra's group. Leliana put an arrow through the first one's eye, and the rest didn't last long against Mirra and Sten's furious swings.

The town of Honnleath was located on an incline, with darkspawn spread everywhere. There was a toppled tower that had been there a long time, but they only saw a few dead humans. The rest had escaped or were hiding somewhere. The golem appeared as a statue in the center of town, surrounded with a fence as if it were on display. It had its arms raised to the sky and appeared to be yelling into the sky. Mirra used the code words to no avail. She decided to search the town for some living humans. After a few minutes she found a door to the tower cellar.

"More darkspawn." Alistair said with a sigh. They found several in the tight hallways of the basement. The confined space in the cellar made it hard for Sten and Mirra to swing their swords. More than once they hit the ceiling trying to get a swing in. Mirra had to change her style to avoid big swings and use the hilt more often. Leliana was having trouble as well. Her long bow wasn't much shorter than the room they were in. Morrigan helped Mirra out by freezing her targets, allowing her to smash them into piles of bloody ice.

They reached a large room where it appeared some humans were hiding behind some sort of magical barrier. A darkspawn Mage was throwing spells at the barrier in an attempt to take it down.

"Alistair, take the Mage out, everyone else attack my target. Ladies, let me know if anything gets close." Mirra told them before hopping into the room. The group was rushed by five darkspawn right away. Mirra whacked one with the hilt of her sword to leave an opening for Alistair. After he was through she ducked under an axe and threw her sword in a low arc, taking out several shins with one shot.

Leliana was getting distracted by Mirra. The elf was sliding into swings with a grace that belied her strength. When compared to Sten's swings of pure force, it almost appeared they were using different weapons. She watched Mirra slide through the legs of an attacker only to decapitate him from behind. It was amazing. Leliana recalled a similar reaction to a former lover. She quickly shook her head to push the image out of her mind.

Someone poked her in the arm. Leliana looked around to see Morrigan smirking at her. "'Twould be advantageous if you would shoot some arrows my dear. I'm sure Mirra would appreciate the assistance."

Leliana blushed, then put an arrow through the neck of the darkspawn Mage to finish it off. Mirra leaped up to an elevated platform and quickly dispatched the last few spawn. She was covered with black blood at this point. Still dripping she walked towards the magical barrier, peering at the humans inside.

"I need a bath." Mirra said under her breath.

The rest of the team joined her in front of the barrier.

"Did the arl send you?" The man asked them.

"No, we're looking for the person who owned the statue outside." Mirra said.

"Oh...you're looking for Shale." The man shook his head then made a few symbols with his hand. The barrier changed color and the rest of the humans ran out. He motioned them to enter and waited.

Mirra walked up to the barrier and waved her hand over it. Nothing happened. She looked back to Morrigan, who nodded at her. She nodded back and walked through the barrier. The rest of the crew followed her.

"I have no idea why you want that damn golem, it killed my father. I would rather crush it into dust than talk to it." The son told them.

"Nevertheless, the code word does not work." Mirra told him.

"Since my mother never wanted the golem activated, she might have given the incorrect code to the merchant."

"Nice." Mirra said shaking her head.

"I will give you the correct code if you rescue my daughter. She ran deep into the cellar, and no one has been able to follow her." The son said.

Mirra looked back to Morrigan and rolled her eyes. "Typical." Mirra said. "Fine, I'll go rescue your daughter, you will give me the code." She turned away from him and stalked deeper into the cellar.

After taking out a few shades and wraiths they finally found the daughter. She was talking to a cat. Once the cat started talking back, Mirra realized the cat was a demon. To save the daughter, she would have to release the demon.

"I don't care what you do with the girl." Mirra heard herself saying. "You take the girl, and I'll get out of here with what I want."

"Surely you are not considering..." Leliana said.

"Silence, my word is final." Mirra said. Leliana growled.

"Did you hear that? We're going to be free!" The demon told the daughter. The cat turned to Mirra. "You need to solve the puzzle."

Mirra looked behind the daughter and demon to see a tile shifting game. It didn't look too complicated. She was surprised the demon hadn't figured it out over so many years.

Within a few minutes Mirra was down to the last piece of the puzzle. While the demon was concentrating on the daughter Mirra nodded towards her crew, making sure to wink at Leliana, who's eyes got large. Mirra pushed the last piece into place.

"Yes, I can feel the magic fading. I had forgotten what it feels like not to be caged." The demon said.

"Kitty? What's happening?" The daughter asked.

"A wonderful thing, my dear, for both of us." The demon said.

Mirra added with a smile, "I said I would release you, I didn't say I would let you live."

"Betrayal!" The demon said before changing to her demon form. Mirra pulled her sword off her back as the daughter ran off to her father. The demon raised several corpses in desperation.

"Alistair! The demon is you. Leliana, help him out. The rest of you, attack my target!" Mirra yelled while running towards the dead ones.

Leliana put an arrow between the eyes of the demon...or she would have, if Alistair hadn't slammed the demon to the floor. The demon flew out of the way, and the arrow flew true, straight towards Mirra. Leliana was mortified when her arrow struck Mirra's shoulder, burying itself deep. Mirra couldn't figure out where the arrow came from. An undead took advantage of the distraction and took a slice at Mirra's sword arm.

Luckily Mirra got her sword high enough to block the attack, though she was flung across the game board with the force. She probably wouldn't be able to take much more.

Sten got in a last shot on the moving carcass. It fell as he watched. The demon made one last attack at them, but it glanced off Alistair's shield. Leliana's arrow pierced the demon's skull to end it. Mirra dropped to the ground. Leliana's arrow was much more painful than a darkspawn arrow.

"Mirra! I'm so sorry! I meant to hit the demon!" Leliana said as she rushed to Mirra's side. Morrigan joined her to survey the damage.

Leliana pulled off Mirra's armor with no prompting. When she started pulling off Mirra's shirt the warrior resisted.

"We'll take care of it later." Mirra told Leliana.

"We must take care of it now!" Leliana said incredulously.

"No! We'll take care of it at camp." Mirra said. She decisively got to her feet and strode out of the room.

Leliana watched her leave the room with wide eyes. "But…" She said, watching the elf leave.

After they dealt with the father and daughter they headed outside to the statue. Mirra was still wearing the arrow like a badge in her shoulder.

Mirra said the new code word. Nothing happened for a long time. After several minutes a cracking noise rose around the statue. A mist rose, and the statue showed signs of life. The head cocked, a shoulder twitched, and a large snapping sound accompanied the movement of one arm. The entire statue came to life with a cacophony of cracks.

The golem looked down at Mirra. "I knew that the day would come when someone would find the control rod. And not even a mage this time. Probably stumbled across the rod by accident, I suppose. Typical."

"I did not get it by accident!" Mirra said.

"So it knew what it was doing? Shocking." The walking stone said. "I stood in this spot and watched the wretched little villagers scurry around me for, oh, I have no idea how long. Many, many years."

"And the villagers had no idea they were being watched? Creepy." Alistair said.

"Familiarity breeds contempt, as they say, and after thirty years as a captive audience, I was as familiar with these villagers as one could possibly be. Not that I wished their fate on them, no, but it did make for a delightful change of pace."

"Do you have a name?" Mirra asked.

"Perhaps, I might have forgotten after being called "Golem" for so many years. 'Golem, fetch me that chair.' 'Be a good golem and squash that insipid bandit.' And let's not forget 'Golem, pick me up, I tire of walking.' It does have the control rod, doesn't it? I am awake, so it…must… I see the control rod, yet I feel… Go on, order me to do something…"

"Fine," Mirra said. "Walk over there."

"And…Nothing? I feel nothing. I feel no compulsion to carry out its command. I suppose that means the rod is…broken?"

"Does that mean you go on a killing rampage?" Mirra asked.

"Don't be ridiculous." Shale said. "I suppose that means…I have free will? Hmmm. I don't have any memories outside of this village. I find myself at a bit of a loss. I suppose it had some purpose for me? Some reason it woke me up?"

"I am a Grey Warden, in need of assistance against the blight. You are welcome to come with me." Mirra said.

"The darkspawn are an evil that must be destroyed. I will assist you in your quest. My name is Shale, by the way. This could be interesting…" He took a look at Mirra. "I feel I must mention…you have an arrow in your shoulder. You might consider removing it."

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Back at camp, Mirra went straight to Morrigan. Leliana had begged her to allow her to remove the arrow. Mirra refused and walked away. Leliana was now sitting at the fire with her head in her hands.

"Mirra, I am no healer. I can make a poultice, but I cannot administer care. I will need assistance." Morrigan told her.

"No! It must be you alone!" Mirra demanded.

"I must refuse." Morrigan said, then turned towards the fire. "Leliana, I need your assistance."

Leliana jerked up with wide eyes, then quickly stood and ran over to Morrigan. "What do you need me to do?" She asked.

"I will make several healing potions, and a bandage. You need to figure out how to get the arrow out." Morrigan went to her stores to procure her ingredients.

Leliana approached Mirra and started to unbutton her shirt.

"Wait!" Mirra twisted away from her and faced away. She took her own shirt off and held it over her chest, then turned back towards Leliana. "Ok."

Leliana put a cloak on the ground then pushed Mirra down on it. Mirra laid down firmly still holding her shirt to her chest.

"Shy Mirra? You have no need. You are quite beautiful." Leliana told her with a smile.

Mirra gave her a brief smile. Leliana inspected the arrow wound. The arrow was deep, and appeared to reach all the way to her shoulder blade.

"Mirra, there are two ways to remove the arrow…my arrow." Leliana looked a little guilty. "We can yank the arrow out and deal with the pain and damage later, or we can cut a little more and remove the arrow with the least amount of damage." Leliana paused. "I would suggest the second option. You don't want any scarring on your beautiful body."

Mirra quickly said "Yank it…" Then she paused, looking deep into Leliana's eyes. She turned away to stare off into the woods. "Your choice…I will stand by your decision."

"I will try to make it as painless as possible. I promise." Leliana told her. She pulled out her sharpest knife and a whetstone.

Mirra watched as Leliana sharpened the knife for several minutes. Then she took a health potion from Morrigan and put it next to Mirra.

"Would you like to hold my hand?" Leliana asked Mirra.

Mirra nodded and reached up. Leliana knew it would be more difficult to make her incisions while holding Mirra's hand, but she felt it her duty to solve the trouble. And she didn't mind holding her hand at all.

Mirra's painful tears and silence were worse than any yelling or screaming. Leliana found the barbs of her arrow, then made short slits on both sides of the arrow. Mirra gripped her hand very tightly as she removed the arrow. She applied a health poultice as Mirra drank the potion. Immediately after Leliana applied the bandage. Mirra turned to put her shirt back on. When she turned back Morrigan and Leliana were looking at her expectantly.

"Thank you Morrigan. Thank you Leliana." Mirra turned to walk back to her tent. Then turned back quickly and gave Leliana a quick kiss on the cheek.

Leliana put her hand to her face as Mirra walked quickly back to her tent and disappeared.


	4. Chapter 4

Marked with Shame

Chapter 4

Bioware owns rights to all characters.

The crew was on their way to the Circle. Mirra spent some time with Shale, and was quite pleased with the stone giant's personality. Its cynicism matched her own quite well. During a break Mirra showed Shale some of the pretty crystals she had discovered within the town of Honnleath. Shale was elated and showed Mirra how they attach to his stone, and some of the benefits they gave him. They were both pleased with how each stone gave him a special glow.

She discussed the golem with Morrigan, but the witch had never seen a golem before, so could offer little insight. Mirra thanked her again for the assistance the night before. Her arrow wound was feeling much better. Mirra and Morrigan discussed the bandage on her chest, and they decided it probably wasn't doing anything, bad or good. She would remove it at the next opportunity. Morrigan stressed the importance of discussing options with a competent healer before resigning oneself to a lonely life with a horrible word on her chest. Then she breached a subject that was bothering her.

"I am uncomfortable about this visit to the circle." Morrigan told Mirra. "While Grey Wardens are not under the purview of the Templars, companions of the Grey Wardens might be considered so. They might attempt capture upon our entry."

"While I am quite willing to tell the Templars you are a Grey Warden," Mirra noted, "I am also quite willing to fight for your behalf." Mirra looked closely at her. "If it bothers you, you can stay outside the tower and wait for us to return. While I like to have you at my back, I will not force you to accompany us."

Morrigan looked at her closely. "No, I will see this through." She paused. "I would also express concern about seeking the assistance of the sort of mages who would subjugate themselves within this system."

"I agree that they might not be the most skillful or most powerful among all mages, but they are all in one place, and we do have a signed contract with them." Mirra told Morrigan.

Morrigan had to agree. It would be much more difficult, if not impossible, to convince any great number of apostate mages to help. Morrigan allowed Mirra to drift off into her thoughts.

Mirra had stolen a few glances at Leliana, but she didn't appear angry. Mirra had expected the human to smack her after her bold kiss the night before, as had happened many times in her younger years. Since no blow had been forthcoming, the alternative was that Leliana assumed it had been nothing more than a friendly kiss for taking care of the arrow. Someone as elegant and refined as Leliana wouldn't consider the possibility that the plain little elf from the bad part of Denerim was interested in her, much less that she would return to feeling. _And Maker forgive her, Leliana wouldn't want anything to do with me if she knew about my disfigurement._ It was folly to believe anyone would be interested in her.

"How are you feeling, Mirra?" The question came out of nowhere. Leliana had snuck up on her while she was lost in her thoughts. _Thoughts about her, no less. _Mirra quickly looked at her, then looked away. The beautiful redhead was distracting.

"Ummm...I'm fine, thanks to you. My shoulder is feeling much better. Thank you again."

"It was no trouble, really. I am only sorry to have caused the wound in the first place." Leliana told her. "If you would like I could take a look at your other wound." Mirra's hands flew to her chest, pulling her shirt tightly shut. "I saw the bandage last night. It wouldn't be a bother..."

"Ummm...No." Mirra searched desperately for a way to steer the conversation away from her scars. "How...did someone like you end up in the Chantry?"

"What is meant by...Someone like me?" Leliana asked.

"You know...a beautiful, charming woman such as yourself" Mirra had to look away or blush bright red.

"If you think there weren't any beautiful, charming women in the cloister, you would be wrong. There were many lovely sisters in the Lothering cloister. All of them chaste and virtuous, it added to their mystique. They were forbidden, and forbidden fruit is sweeter, no?" Leliana told her.

"What about your fruit, is it forbidden?" Mirra's asked with a crooked smile.

"My fruit? I...I can't believe I'm having this conversation. But, no. I didn't take vows. The Chantry provides succor and safe harbor to all who seek it. I chose to stay, and become affirmed."

"What did you do before that?" Mirra asked.

"I was a traveling minstrel in Orlais. Tales and songs were my life. I performed, and was rewarded with applause, and coin. And my skill in battle? Well, you pick up different skills when you travel, yes? Umm...let's move on." Leliana walked off. Mirra watched her go. Something about where she learned her skills bothered her. Mirra was pleased her little kissing stunt hadn't completely driven Leliana away. She was also pleased to hear her describe the Chantry sisters in such flattering terms. Maybe she wasn't a lost cause after all. Very nice daydreams drifted through Mirra's head for a short period before the cynic at the back of her head reminded her of all her shortcomings. Mirra shook her head to clear her thoughts.

She decided to have a discussion with Alistair to remove all thoughts concerning beautiful ladies and urges. She had been pretty harsh with him...pretty much since they met, and he had been a perfect gentleman so far. Not to mention he had saved her life at least once. She should cut him some slack.

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Alistair was terrified when Mirra started up a conversation. So much so that she probably thought he was pretty dim.

"Alistair." She had said from right next to him, startling him out of his inner recitations of Templar spells.

"What?!" He'd said, hopping at least a foot into the air. _Brilliant, way to look like a jumpy mouse._

"Are you all right? You seem a bit jumpy." She'd said.

"I'm fine! Really, you just startled me out of some memorization techniques." He'd said.

"Ok, well, I wanted to apologize." Mirra told him.

"For what?" He asked.

"Well, I've had some bad experiences with humans in the past, human males specifically, and I feel that I've been taking it out on you. You've been nice to me, even when we've had arguments." Alistair was staring at her with an open mouth and wide eyes, then he tripped. _Very smooth. Girls love a bumbling idiot. _Once he recovered himself, she continued, "So, thanks for putting up with me. I'll try to be nicer in the future." Alistair had of course been too stunned to say a word. "We'll go see about Arl Eamon after we've secured the assistance of the mages. OK?"

"Thank...you...Mirra." He had finally gotten a word out. "I appreciate it." Mirra had smiled then wandered off.

Alistair was still trying to think of something witty to say, and failing. Mirra was such a pretty elf, and he turned into a clumsy fool around her. Or, more of a clumsy fool than normal, he supposed. He looked at her as she walked up at the head of their group, near Sten. They didn't appear to be talking. Sten didn't talk much at all. All they really seemed to do was spar during the evenings. Sten was getting better dealing with a limber opponent, and it actually appeared Mirra was getting stronger. Or she was, before the arrow incident. He still wasn't sure what made her wait until they reached camp to remove the arrow. He probably never would.

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Mirra slashed the head off a walking corpse. It wasn't pleasant, but in some ways it was better than killing someone who was alive. They had arrived at The Circle to find it in turmoil. The head Templar said the tower was no longer under their control. Demons and possibly blood mages had taken over the upper levels of the tower. The head Templar did not think they would be able to do anything for the mages, but he let them enter, and locked them in. They found the tower crawling with the undead, demons of all types, and Templars that were apparently possessed. There were a few blood mages, but they definitely weren't in control of the tower.

She glanced towards the Mage who insisted on joining them for their tour through the tower. Her name was Wynne, and Mirra had met her before at Ostagar. She had even spoken with her at length before the battle. She was a healer, and Mirra was definitely looking forward to speak to her in private. Wynne didn't get along with Morrigan...at all. So Mirra found herself a referee between the two, though it was difficult, since they were usually at the back off the group, and she was normally at the front. Fortunately Leliana was back with them, and assisted in keeping the peace at Mirra's request, or at least standing between them.

Mirra and Alistair finished off a demon to clear the room.

"I'm just about sick of demons and the undead." Mirra said, dripping with smelly corpse goo. "Just one door left on this miserable floor?" She asked Alistair.

"Looks that way, Mirra."

"All right. Let's go." Mirra plodded to the door and made sure everyone was ready.

They opened the door, got a three second look at a large demon, and dropped to the floor. Wynne had enough time to say "Must resist..."

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_Mirra woke to the smell of pastries and smoked pork. She rose to find herself in a comfortable sleeping area with soft sheets. The walls of the room were free of cracks, and had occasional pieces of art depicting nature scenes. She peeled back the sheets to find herself in a chemise softer than anything she'd ever worn. She looked down at herself to find her chest scar free._

_Quick images flashed across her mind - a redhead with a bow, brunette with a staff, male human with a suit of armor, giant man of stone glowing orange..._

_She got out of bed and walked to the kitchen. The kitchen was neat and free of grime. There was a blond elf at the stove making breakfast. He turned when he heard her slide a chair from under the table._

_"Good morning, Darling! You are looking beautiful. How did you sleep?" The elf said. "I will have some sweet pastries for you in a few minutes, then some crispy bacon later. Can I get you anything to drink? We have juice, and I can have some tea for you in a few minutes."_

_"Tea, please." Mirra told Nelaros. Yes...Nelaros, my husband. He is making me tea and bacon. I've never been happier._

_More images flashed across her vision - a huge man with a huge sword, a huge dog with a grin on its face, a brunette female with low cut purple top, a redhead in a Chantry cloister dress._

_Nelaros turned back to the stove to warm hot water for the tea. The bacon smelled wonderful. He soon turned to her and poured her tea. He turned back to finish the pastries. Mirra swirled her tea and looked at her husband. She had a nice house in the well-made part of the alienage. She had a kind husband who cooked for her. She had the perfect life. Exactly what her father had hoped for her._

_Mirra rose and approached her husband from behind, wrapping her arms around him. He turned within her embrace with a smile. He slid his hands around her waist and they shared a kiss. "Maybe we should wait on the pastries and bacon." Nelaros said with a mischievous smile. He slid his hands lower to grab the hem of her chemise._

_More images: old female mage with a staff, young man with blond hair carrying a shield, brunette in black skirt carrying a staff, redhead female looking at her with a smile._

_Something clicked in her head, and her true memories flooded her head. Mirra reached behind Nelaros to grab the handle of a kitchen knife. He was slowly sliding her chemise up her body. She positioned the point of the knife against his back, and plunged it through him._

Instantly the veneer of the dream was stripped away. Mirra hopped backwards away from the desire demon before her. Other than the horns on her head, the demon actually looked pretty good.

"Had you checked my desires, rather than my memories..." Mirra said while pulling her sword off her back, "you would realize you had a better chance with me in your pure form." Mirra split the demon in two.

She found herself in the most unusual area. The ground undulated wildly, and when she looked over an edge it appeared the land she was on was floating. There was a haze that forced everything out of focus, and gave everything a sickly yellow tint. She ran around briefly before realizing the land she was on was quite small. She could see other land off in the distance, but nothing close enough to reach. Her friends must be elsewhere. Her attention was drawn to a small pedestal that was glowing slightly. The top of the pedestal was intricate, with swirls and loops creating a disk.

Mirra looked closely at the disk to see if she could decipher any writing. She accidentally bumped a spot on the rim and the area lurched under her feet.

She was in another area that looked similar to the area she was just in, but was different. The pedestal was gone. She walked around and found Morrigan, who was talking to her mother. Or at least she looked like her mother. Morrigan was calling her a fade spirit. Mirra assumed it was similar to her experience, where some demon was pretending to be someone Morrigan knew.

Morrigan looked at her. "'Tis you at last. Come and rid me of this vexatious spirit. I am tired of being prodded."

"Got it." Mirra's said, pulling her sword off her back. Morrigan backed away. With a few swipes of her sword the spirit lay crumpled on the ground.

"Do you know where we are?" Mirra asked Morrigan.

"We have been pulled into the fade by some sort of demon..." Morrigan became surrounded by a mist. "Wait! What is this? Not this again! I refuse!" Morrigan said before fading away.

It seemed the demon did not want them to be together. "Damnit!" Mirra said. She was really hoping for a mage's assistance with this. She turned around and noticed the pedestal had reappeared. She approached it more carefully this time. She picked a different spot on the edge and touched it. Her world lurched again.

Mirra found herself in another area. She rounded a corner to see Leliana kneeling at an altar, saying some form of the Chant of Light. The part of the demon was to be played by an old woman in a chantry robe.

"Leliana, we need to go." Mirra told her.

"Blessed are we...What? Who are you? Reverend mother, I do not know this person." Leliana said, giving Mirra a nasty lurch at the bottom of her stomach. _What is that about? I've only known this woman for a week. _Mirra ignored the demon as it rattled off some garbage.

"What do you mean, Leliana? We are friends, don't you remember?" Mirra told her.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know what you are talking about." Leliana said, giving Mirra another lurch she didn't expect.

"Do you remember the tower, Leliana? We are trapped here in the fade. This is a lie." Mirra pleaded with her. The demon continued to spout off some more nonsense.

"There is something familiar about you, and I find myself trusting you, as odd as that may sound." Leliana said, to Mirra's relief.

"Good, let's get out of here." Mirra held out her hand to Leliana, who started to walk towards her.

Right when their hands touched, the demon turned into...a demon. A tall pillar of fire that started reaching for Leliana. Mirra grabbed Leliana and threw her behind her, pulling out her sword with her other hand.

The battle took a lot longer than Mirra liked. She was missing Morrigan's cold spell on her weapon. If she got out of here she would have to look into a cold enchantment. With one final swipe of her sword the demon was dragged down into the earth. She turned to see Leliana cowering on the floor. She rose slowly out of her crouch, saying "Holy Maker, she was a..."

"A demon, yes. We are in the fade." Mirra told her.

"Ugh...My head feels heavy, like I've just woken from a terrible nightmare. I believe we had... some task to accomplish. Let us be on our way...Wait! What is happening to me?" The mist appeared and she disappeared. She was troubled that Leliana's perfect dream was religious contemplation. Mirra shook her head, she and Leliana were barely friends at this point, no need to get ahead of herself. She walked off to find the pedestal.

Each of her companions were similarly ensnared in some kind of perfect dream or terrible nightmare. Mirra shuddered to think about what would have happened if the demon had looked a little deeper into her true desires. She was shocked that Wynne hadn't been able to see through the illusions. She was a Mage after all. Morrigan had seen through the lies fairly easily. Though, in reality, who would expect anyone to be treated so badly by their mother. Her last companion was Shale, and he had been snared in a nightmare of being a statue again. A little encouragement from Mirra and he was back to his old Stoney self.

When Mirra reached the pedestal again she noticed the center was glowing. She had rescued all her companions, so why not head to the middle?

After the familiar lurch she found herself in an open area, with a demon of some sort waiting for her. As she approached the demon he started spouting off nonsense about unruly minions. Mirra pulled out her weapon.

"Oh, there you are." It was Alistair. Mirra turned to see him and the rest of her companions appearing behind her. "You tried to keep us apart, but you failed." Leliana said. Mirra smiled and turned back to the demon. Her sword flashed and a frosty mist started falling from the blade. Morrigan had arrived as well. Alistair, Sten, Shale, and Rex appeared at her side. The demon had the good sense to look nervous at this point, then he got an arrow in his chest. He looked at it briefly, then attacked.

Afterwards they were pulled out of the fade to see the demon collapse. Mirra looked around to see everyone. They all made it out of the dream. Some of her friends looked uncomfortable about their experience in the fade, but Mirra was happy they were all there.

Mirra made sure everyone was ready to go, then headed up the stairs to the next floor of the tower. There were a few more possessed Templars, blood mages, and undead before they found a Templar in a magical cage. Wynne had never seen a cage like it. The templar in the cage insinuated every mage in the tower was possessed, and the only safe option was to kill all of them. Mirra wasn't sure what to think, but she wasn't willing to destroy all the mages due to fear. Morrigan and Wynne were quite reasonable and capable of resisting demonic influence. Anyone willing to assume everyone in the tower was indoctrinated was the kind of person willing to kill all children with magical powers. That was a step too far...quite a few steps too far. She left the caged Templar and opened the door to the last room in the tower.

The instant she entered the chamber, a mage was transformed into a terrible beast, which Mirra could only assume was an abomination. Mirra was irritated at herself for arriving late. _One more enslaved soul to destroy, it seems._ There were several other abominations already in the room, assisting the one Mage not cowering on the floor. Mirra assumed he was in charge, and evil. The mages cowering on the floor were obviously in queue to be turned into abominations. The man in charge approached the group.

"Ah...look what we have here, an intruder. I bid you welcome. Care to join in our...revels?" Mirra realized this was Uldred, the blood Mage mentioned frequently during her trip through the tower.

"Oh yes." Mirra told him. "That form was definitely what I was looking for. Definitely going to attract the girls from miles around." Uldred didn't take her answer as sarcastically as intended.

Alistair gave her a weird look. _Attract the girls?_

Mirra pulled her sword off her back. "You will indoctrinate no more mages."

"I see we will fail to convince you of our superiority. We must show you." Uldred said, then his body started changing.

Mirra stood her ground, but she was definitely getting nervous. Uldred gained size until he was several times taller than Mirra, and there was nothing human left. He had an armored coating that looked like an insect carapace, a claw for one hand, spikes protruding everywhere, and a weird blood colored glow seeping between pieces of armor.

Alistair stepped in front of her. "Take out the others, I'll keep him busy."

"Ok!" Mirra said, then louder. "Morrigan and Leliana, help Alistair, everyone else attack my target."

As Mirra was slashing through the abominations, she was struck by the thought that they wouldn't stand a chance against this group if they were still mages. When Uldred transformed them into abominations he had weakened them. With one abomination left she sent Sten and Shale to assist Alistair. She and Rex finished off the last one, then looked back to see how they were doing with Uldred.

Alistair was picking himself off the floor by one of the walls. Sten was furiously blocking the arms of the massive beast. Shale was flat on his back. Morrigan, Wynne, and Leliana were backing away quickly while still trying to help Sten.

"Go get him, Rex!" Mirra told the dog while angling for the backside of the beast. With the dog and Sten distracting Uldred, Mirra was completely ignored. She backed herself all the way to the wall, then sprinted towards the beast. A meter before she reached him she leaped into the air, sticking her sword through Uldred's back. He howled with rage then turned towards her. The sword was sticking through the front of his chest, but apparently wasn't enough to take him down. Mirra's eyes grew large right before a huge spiky arm sent her flying towards a wall.

Mirra saw stars. "Ouch." She said while getting up. She could tell some of her ribs and one collarbone were cracked. Mirra hoped Wynne was as good a healer as she appeared. Morrigan and Leliana were continuing to shoot the beast. Wynne was healing Alistair and Sten. Mirra propped herself up against a wall, steeling herself before standing back up. Luckily she wasn't needed to finish him off. Morrigan froze the beasts head, and Sten got in a huge blow to smash it. The huge thing fell into a pile of soggy pieces.

Wynne and Leliana rushed over to Mirra, who was crumpled on the floor. She helped them remove her armor, but stopped them from removing her shirt.

"Work through the shirt." She told them.

Wynne looked at Leliana in confusion.

"Mirra is a bit shy, Wynne." Leliana said while she took Mirra's hand into her own.

Wynne nodded. "Show me where, Mirra." Mirra waved her hand over her side, then pointed to her right collarbone. Wynne pulled power into her hands and touched Mirra's side. She felt the muscle and bone knit under her hands. When she placed her hands over Mirra's collarbone she felt some raised scars on her upper chest. They felt pretty prominent. She looked to Mirra's face with wide eyes. Mirra's eyes pleaded with her. Wynne nodded and healed the collarbone.

"Thank you, Wynne." Mirra rose with Leliana's help, reluctantly releasing her hand to put her armor back on. She was getting quite fond of the redhead.

The head enchanter of The Circle was pleased they were there, and happily promised the assistance of the mages against the blight. Mirra was very pleased when Wynne requested to accompany them on their quest.

"We would be honored to have you, Wynne." Mirra said. Morrigan's snort from behind her was expected.

As Mirra wandered out she moved over to Alistair. "Ready for Redcliffe?"

"Yes...sort of..." He said. She waited because he looked like he might say something else, but he didn't.

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Once they reached camp Wynne approached Mirra. "Will you show me?" Wynne felt sympathy for the elf. Whatever was under her shirt obviously bothered her immensely. She watched the elf quickly make sure no one else was near. Wynne was astounded once she unbuttoned her shirt.

"Is there a spell to remove the scar?" Mirra asked, showing a rough circle in the middle if her chest. Wynne could see additional marks on the edge of the area shown. She studied it closely. Getting the scar must have been terribly painful.

"Who did this to you?" She asked. The burn scar was horrid.

"An evil man. Can you do anything about it?" Mirra asked.

"Is there more than this?" Wynne asked, still inspecting the mark.

"Yes." Mirra didn't elaborate.

"Can I see the rest?" Wynne asked.

"I'd rather not show you. Can you do anything about it?" Mirra said.

"Possibly. I will start researching options. If possible, I would like to visit Denerim to review alternatives in the library there." Wynne told her. "I must tell you that I am very sorry you had to suffer this injustice."

"Thank you, Wynne." Mirra buttoned her shirt back up. "Please don't tell anyone."

"You have my word, though it might help to discuss it with someone."

"I don't think so." Mirra said before walking off.

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Leliana had watched the exchange with interest. Mirra obviously had something on her chest that she didn't like to show, though she had shown Morrigan and Wynne voluntarily. It disturbed her that Mirra didn't trust her enough to show her. Just then Mirra walked over to her.

"Umm...hi. Nice shooting in the tower." Mirra told her, looking nervous.

"You are welcome. I am glad you weren't hurt badly."

"What was life like in the Chantry Cloister?" Mirra asked.

"Quiet, it was a life suited to contemplation. In the cloister, away from the fuss and the flurry of the cities, I found peace..." As Leliana discussed her simple life in the chantry she could tell Mirra was listening closely. And though she was not understanding the tranquility of the cloister, or more likely not understanding Leliana's relief after her harrowing escape from Orlais, she appreciated Mirra's thoughtfulness.

"I prefer your ideas to the ideas of the Chantry." Mirra shocked Leliana by saying. Leliana had just finished explaining how her views differed from the mainstream tenants of the Chantry.

"Thank you. Maybe I am wrong, but it is the Maker's place to decide if I am worthy, not men. Not the Chantry." Leliana told her with a smile.

"I heard that in Orlais, minstrels are often spies." Mirra said.

"Where did you hear this?" Leliana became guarded immediately. _How could she know?_

"I don't remember, and it's fine if you don't want to answer. I can understand nervousness with revealing one's past." Mirra told her.

"No, it is ok." Leliana collected her thoughts. "Not all minstrel's are spies, most are just singers and storytellers. But some of them are...are what we call bards."

"So, the bards are spies?" Mirra asked.

"Bards are minstrels, and more. Spies, as you say. Some say there is a bard order, but I don't think this is true. Many bards work alone, or in small groups, doing the bidding of a patron who pays for their services. If there is an organization behind it all, no one knows who they are."

"Patrons? What sort of patrons?" Mirra asked.

"Nobles, mostly. In Orlais there is much rivalry amongst the high-born. They fight over land, influence, and the favor of the empress. But they cannot do this openly, because it is impolite, and in public they wear smiling faces and pretend to be civil. In secret they plot and scheme to destroy each other. It is a game completely meaningless to anyone but its players."

"You were a bard, weren't you?" Mirra asked.

"I have revealed too much, it seems. But it doesn't matter what I used to be. It is the past."

"But why would you leave such a life? It sounds exciting. That must be where you learned your skills."

"My skills served me well, but the day finally came when I decided to put them aside. I found myself in Ferelden and sheltered from bad weather in the Chantry. And when the storm passed I just...did not want to leave. I like to say the maker brought me here."

"And now I've pushed you back into using those skills. Do you miss the tranquility?" Mirra asked.

"As I already told you. The Maker sent me to you for a reason. I do not regret my actions." Leliana told her with a smile.

"I...uh...found this in the tower. I thought you might like it." Mirra handed her an amulet of some kind. Leliana took a close look at the amulet. It was a chantry amulet, and very high quality.

"How dear of you! Thank you very much!" Leliana told Mirra. She put the amulet around her neck. "Do I get to thank you in the same manner as you did me?" She told Mirra.

While Mirra was still trying to unravel her riddle Leliana leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. Mirra turned red. Eventually she gave a crooked smile and wandered towards Morrigan's fire.

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Morrigan could tell Mirra was flustered as she approached, the goofy grin made it obvious. "So...you and the sister?"

Mirra looked at her with wide eyes. "Obvious again?" She said with a small smile.

Morrigan rolled her eyes. _Love and touching. What is with people? _"Did the preachy school mistress give you any good information?"

"She...needs to do some research. She wants to visit Denerim." Mirra paused. "Oh, I found something you might be interested in." Mirra handed her a book.

"What? You found Flemeth's grimiore? When I spoke of it to you, I did not truly hope...but this is a truly fortuitous event. You have my thanks. I will begin study of the tome immediately."

"You're welcome." Morrigan forgot about Mirra and sat down to read the book. Mirra returned to the main fire and sat down near Leliana.

"You were a traveling minstrel. Do you have tales to share?" Mirra asked her.

"Of course I do. I love stories far too much to keep them to myself. Everyone should be able to benefit from them, I think." Leliana told her.

"Have you heard anything about Flemeth?" Mirra asked her.

"Fereldan mothers scare their daughters with talk of Flemeth. They say that if you're bad, Flemeth will spirit you away and bind you to her forever..." Mirra listened to Leliana tell tales until her shift on watch.


	5. Chapter 5

Marked with Shame

Chapter 5

Bioware owns rights to all characters.

Alistair watched the Circle mages set up the process to allow Wynne to enter the fade. He was still surprised the Circle had come to assist them with Conner, Arl Eamon's son. He was even more surprised the head Templar had allowed all these mages leave the tower with the lyrium needed. Mirra strode into the tower and talked directly to the head enchanter, demanding assistance to help the Arl's son. That the enchanter had been willing to assist with little incentive confused Alistair. After all, the head enchanter watched templars kill possessed mages all the time.

Alistair recalled the events since they first arrived in Redcliffe. The town had even bigger issues than a poisoned Arl. _Don't think about that._ Undead corpses flooded out of the castle every night, terrorizing the village. No one had heard from anyone in the castle for days. Mirra rallied the townsfolk, restocked the militia, and even convinced several local mercenaries to assist with the battle that first night. They wiped out the undead in less than an hour. Bann Teagan, the Arl's brother, had been elated at their victory, but they still had to discover the source of all the undead, and find out if anyone was still alive in the castle. He showed them a way into the castle through a secret passage.

After fighting through a castle full of shades and walking corpses they found the source. The Arl's young son, Connor, was apparently a mage, was very much demon possessed, and was very much ruling over the people in the castle. Their group had been forced to kill several guards to end the conflict and subdue the young Mage. Afterwards Connor had seemed back in control of his facilities, but they had no idea how long he would remain so.

After some discussion between Mirra, Wynne, Morrigan, and the very blood Mage who had poisoned the Arl in the first place, there were three options; kill the boy, save the boy in the fade using blood magic, or save the boy in the fade using lyrium and mages from the Circle. Everyone except Morrigan had agreed killing the boy was not an option. Alistair fondly recalled the glare Mirra had given her. Of the last two options, Mirra forbid blood magic, so they began their journey to the Circle. Even though they had no idea if they would get back in time, or whether the Circle would even assist, Mirra was adamant.

The journey to and back from the tower was one of the most grueling he had endured. Luckily Wynne stayed with Connor to assist if a demon took control again, she probably would have fallen behind at the pace they kept. Both Morrigan and Sten had heated discussions with Mirra about the relevance of their current mission towards ending the blight, and both were told they could leave at any time. Sten stayed because he was still seeking atonement. Alistair had no idea why Morrigan stayed. Luckily enough, they returned to Redcliffe before any demon manifested.

Alistair glanced over at their newest party member... an assassin. He still didn't know what possessed Mirra to allow him to join their group. The blond elf had been part of a group sent to kill them by Logain. During their trek back from the tower, they had been approached by a woman who claimed to have bandit trouble, who then ran back towards the supposed trouble. Mirra and Leliana had seen through the ruse right away, preparing themselves for an attack. The assassin's party hadn't been much of a challenge for their combined group. Afterward they found the elf was still alive. Mirra grabbed one of his knives from nearby and put it up against his neck. Then she had a quiet conversation with the elf, dragging Leliana into it at some point. Then she'd pulled the knife away and stood up. The elf dragged himself to his feet and swore loyalty to her. Alistair still remembered his shock. He protested vehemently to no avail. Once again, Mirra made up her mind, and nothing he could say would change it. The assassin's constant flirting with the girls in the group did not endear him further. The assassin saw Alistair looking at him and winked. Alistair glared then looked away.

He found himself looking towards Mirra. She was propped against a wall. Morrigan and Leliana were next to her. They all looked completely exhausted. Going with a few hours sleep every night while traveling had sapped them of all their strength. Alistair's templar training was all that was keeping him vertical. They were going to need some time to rest before moving on.

Even after their argument Morrigan and Mirra were still pretty close. Not that Alistair could blame Morrigan. He'd grown quite fond of the pretty elf, even with their disagreements. He'd even found a flower to give her, whenever he could build up enough courage. Their current endeavor to save the Arl and his son was giving him even more of an infatuation. She was going out of her way to save the Arl's entire family.

Someone jostled his arm. Alistair looked around to see the assassin.

"It is best not to ponder what cannot be yours, my friend." He told Alistair.

"What? Who? I wasn't pondering anyone!" Alistair said indignantly, shifting so the elf wasn't behind him.

The elf chuckled and shook his head. "Her heart does not seek what you have to offer, much to your dismay, and mine as well." Alistair didn't have any idea what he was talking about. "Anyway, it looks like they are about to send Wynne into the fade, if you want to watch." The elf stayed beside him, but turned to watch the mages. Alister took a step sideways to put some space between them, and stepped right into Mirra.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there!" He told her as she gave him a confused look. Luckily she didn't fall over, but she did take a second to re-right herself. _Idiot! Now she thinks you're even more of a bumbling fool._

"What's going on?" She asked, still looking at him oddly.

"Oh...um...Wynne is about to enter the fade." Just then he felt the tingle of magic in his veins. He glanced quickly over to see what the mages were doing.

In a few minutes it was all over. Before Wynne collapsed from exhaustion she told them the demon was destroyed. Bann Teagan gave them all rooms for the night, but they had a new journey for the next day. Alister noticed Mirra looked quite uncomfortable when they found they would be heading to Denerim. They were searching for the Urn of Sacred Ashes.

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Leliana knew what must be done, but she was afraid to do it. Mirra had been so nice to her, and Leliana was worried how she would react to her confession. _One in a string of sins to reveal to her new friend. _She stood in front of Mirra's door for a few minutes, thinking about what to say, and how to say it. Just then excited barking came from the other side of the door.

"What is it, boy?" Mirra asked from behind the door.

Leliana sighed and knocked on the door. She heard bangs and thumps for a minute.

"Stay back you beast!" Mirra said happily from behind the door. "I can't open the door with you up against it!" Eventually the door was opened to reveal Mirra in a dress. Leliana's eyes went wide. "Leliana!" Mirra's grin spread across her face, matched by a similar smile on Leliana. Unfortunately Mirra lost her grip on Rex' collar, and the dog shot out the door to leap onto Leliana, sprawling her across the passageway.

"Agh! Rex! Get off her! It hasn't been that long since you saw her!" Mirra dragged the dog off her and sent him back into the room. "Go lay down you furry thing!" She turned and looked fondly at Leliana. "I'm so sorry. He gets so excited sometimes. He didn't hurt you or tear your dress, did he?" Mirra moved to her side and inspected her dress.

"I don't think so." Leliana said while being helped off the floor. She brushed off her borrowed dress. _This entrance was not as impressive as intended._

"You look great in that dress. Did Bann Teagan let you borrow it?" Mirra asked her.

"Lady Isolde, actually. She seemed bothered by a woman wearing armor." Leliana told her. The dress was a light shade of green that set off her hair wonderfully. It actually fit very well, even though Leliana carried a bit more muscle than the Lady, and not quite as much bosom.

"I guess the Bann was reading from the same set of rules." Mirra held out the skirt of her dress. "I believe this belonged to one of the Lady's handmaidens." The dress was light purple, and matched... Mirra's eyes. Leliana couldn't believe it. Mirra was wearing purple eyeshadow.

"It looks lovely on you, Mirra." Leliana said. _Very lovely indeed._ She watched Mirra blush. They stood awkwardly for a minute before Leliana figured out Mirra was waiting for her to say why she was in her room. _Time to get on with it._

"May I come in? I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Certainly! Please come in!" Mirra let her in.

"I lied to you about why I left Orlais." Leliana said once the door was shut.

"Why?" Mirra asked.

"I didn't know you then. What happened to me...maybe it will affect us, maybe not, but you should know. I came to the Chantry because I was being chased in Orlais. I was betrayed by someone I thought I knew. Marjorlaine, my mentor and friend. She taught me my skills. I loved the craft, and I loved her." Mirra's eyebrows slowly rose. Leliana thought she detected a twitch when she mentioned her former love.

"Why did she betray you?" Mirra asked. Leliana noticed only concern.

"I have asked myself that since they captured me. I presented her with some documents that proved she was a traitor. I showed them to her out of concern, but she brushed me off, telling me not to worry. She took the documents, saying they should be destroyed. I believed her. I kept believing her right up until they showed me the documents, altered to present me as the traitor, instead of her."

Mirra's hand was over her mouth, with her eyes wide. Leliana could not see anything more than shock.

"The Orlesian guards did terrible things to me...terrible things. It was a traitor's punishment I endured." Leliana looked down in shame.

"Oh, Leliana, I'm so sorry." Mirra said, holding her hand to her chest, sadness in her eyes.

"I escaped to Ferelden, to the tranquility of the Chantry. And that is the reason I am here, the real reason. No more lies between us, at least in this." Leliana looked up to see Mirra with wet eyes.

"Oh, Leliana." Mirra said with such care, Leliana was shocked. No walking back. No revulsion, just concern for her.

"Don't cry for me Mirra. You showing up in that tavern was the best thing that's happened to me in quite a while." Leliana smiled as she sought a way to remove the sadness from Mirra's eyes. _What do I say? Bringing her sadness was not my intent._ _Do I complement her? What?_ After a pause to consider, she thought of something. "I...have I ever told you I really like the way you wear your hair?" Leliana asked Mirra.

"My hair? Thank you." Mirra replied, still recovering. Her hand went to her hair self-consciously.

"It's very nice and it suits you. Simple, not like the elaborate hairstyles we wore in Orlais..." Leliana found herself discussing Orlais fashion with Mirra, completely at ease in the elf's presence. She was almost comfortable enough to miss Mirra's very attractive dress covered body. Normally covered in dirt, sweat, and flecked with blood, Leliana was finding Mirra's current scrubbed clean body very pleasing.

."..But I was trying to say something nice to you, wasn't I?" Leliana said. "It's just that...I feel so comfortable talking to you. Like I could say anything and you wouldn't judge me."

"And I like to listen to you talking. Listening to your stories has become my favorite pastime." Mirra said with a smile.

"You see? You are such a pleasure to talk to. I haven't felt this close to anyone in a long time. I really enjoy your company." Leliana told her.

"Do you often enjoy the company of women?" Mirra asked.

"And what would you do if I said I do? Very much so, in fact." Leliana shifted her posture alluringly as she searched Mirra's eyes for aversion or distaste, and was happy to see naked desire. Confusingly it was quickly followed by a drop of her gaze.

"I..." Mirra started while staring at the floor.

"What's wrong, Mirra? You have nothing to fear from me." Leliana told her while pulling her head up.

"You wouldn't be interested in me." It was a statement, not a question. Leliana was taken aback. Mirra turned away.

"I believe that is my choice, is it not?" Leliana said while grabbing her arm. Mirra did not try to pull away. Leliana drew her close and put her arms around the little elf. Mirra was such a strong warrior, but she felt as fragile as a leaf in Leliana's arms. Leliana could tell she was crying, but could not fathom why. They stayed that way for some time.

With a loud clang the door opened. "Mirra! I need to speak with you..." Morrigan walked in with her nose stuck in a big dusty tome. Mirra quickly pulled away from Leliana and wiped her eyes, smearing her eye shadow. Morrigan finally pulled her head away from the book and looked between them. "My apologies, Leliana. 'Twas not my intent to intrude."

"It is no trouble, Morrigan." Then, to Mirra. "We will discuss this further, Mirra."

Leliana returned to her chambers, confounded with the elf. Mirra was obviously interested, yet she resisted. "You wouldn't be interested." She had said. Why wouldn't Leliana be interested? Mirra was a beauty. Watching her fight was stimulating. Leliana couldn't imagine why Mirra didn't think she was attractive.

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Mirra's head was spinning. First Leliana had told her she liked women, then specifically that she was interested in her. _You wouldn't be if you could see me under this dress._

Then Morrigan had interrupted to tell her she found out how her mother had lived so long. She had a daughter and once she was old enough took over their body. Once that body got old she repeated the process. As Morrigan was the daughter in question, she obviously had a problem with it. The only solution, Flemeth must die. Mirra promised Morrigan to help her with her problem, though she was conflicted. Morrigan was a good friend, but Flemeth had saved their lives. She wasn't sure how to handle the situation.

Mirra walked over and sat next to Rex. Petting him softly. Bann Teagan hadn't wanted the dog in the room with her, but damned if she was going to sleep in a castle filled with a humans without her dog. "Rex, what am I going to do?" The dog lifted his head to look at her. "I'm falling for a human. A drop dead gorgeous human with auburn hair and beautiful eyes. One who likes me even though I'm an elf. One who tells interesting stories just because I ask her. One who's been through hell, just like me. Possibly worse."

"She'll probably bolt for the hills if she sees my chest." The dog snorted. "You don't think so?" She hopped up, pulling the dress over her head. Pointing towards the word on her chest she said, "What kind of person could look at that and not be repulsed?" She walked over to a wash basin and looked into the mirror. "Who?" Rex came over and stuck its snout into Mirra's hand. The shame of the mark hurt less when no one was interested. _Was it worse to shut down the relationship now, or wait until the inevitable shame of rejection?_ It would be easy if Leliana wasn't wonderful_. _She hung her head and allowed the tears to slowly fall.

Eventually she crawled into bed and cried herself to sleep.

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"Damnit!" Mirra had her leg stuck in another trap. She reached down and started prying the thing apart. Shale and Alistair jumped in front to protect her from the rush of bandits. These bandits were particularly well prepared, and more numerous than most of the groups they came across. They were in a nondescript section of the forest somewhere along the road to Denerim. She looked up the hill towards the group of archers pelting them with arrows. _Time to take care of those guys._

"There are more traps on the way up the hill, Mirra. Stay to the right, up against the cliff face." Leliana had crouched down next to her to let her know. She stood back up as Mirra pulled her foot out of the trap, letting loose an arrow as she stood.

Mirra took off as soon as she was completely out of the trap, making sure to keep to the right. An arrow grazed her arm at one point. She ignored the pain.

She cut down the first couple of archers and was about to cut down the last one when Leliana yelled out; "Don't kill him, Mirra!" Mirra was able to shift her swing just enough to bounce her sword off the archer's shoulder. She switched her sword to her offhand and ripped the bandit's bow out of his hands. After she tossed it aside she took ahold of him and turned towards Leliana.

"These bandits are highly skilled, and their armor is high quality. I suspect they are not simple bandits." Leliana gave Mirra a knowing glance.

Mirra grabbed the archer by the neck and pushed him to the ground, grabbing one of his own knives to place it at his neck. "Who were you after?" She snarled into his ear.

"Uhhhh." He moaned.

"Don't make me ask you again!" Mirra touched the knife to his neck. It was sharp enough to draw a little blood.

"The brunette in Denerim told us to make sure the redhead died! She said it wouldn't be difficult!" He told them.

"The redhead..." Realization dawned. "Who's after Leliana! I need a name!" Mirra yelled in his ear.

"I don't know a name!" The man yelled, desperation in his voice.

"Mirra..." Leliana said, taking her arm and pulling the knife away from his neck, gently stroking Mirra's arm. "Marjorlaine would not tell him her name."

"I have an address...in Denerim." The man said.

"Tell me." Mirra said.

The man told them the location. Leliana pulled Mirra away from him. "Go...now." She said. The man ran as fast as he could.

"I'll take care of Marjorlaine. This is not your fight." Leliana said.

"If she's after you, it is my fight. We're already heading to Denerim. We'll deal with her while we are there." Mirra told her. A quick glance to the side and she saw Morrigan roll her eyes.

"Thank you, Mirra!" Leliana said before giving her a quick hug. When she pulled back she had blood on her arm. "Mirra! You're hurt!"

"It's not bad." Mirra said, looking at her arm.

"Yes it is!" Leliana pulled off the armor on her arm, batting Mirra's hand away when she tried to stop her. "Wynne?"

"I've got it Leliana, hold her arm still."

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"Um... Mirra?" Alistair said after walking faster to catch up with her. Both Morrigan and Leliana were walking with her in a comfortable silence, something he wouldn't have believed possible only a few weeks ago. _Must be a girl thing..._

"Yes, Alistair?" She slowed down to walk next to him.

"Do you remember when we were in the tower? The fade, dream thingy?" He said. Being this close to her was distracting. He kept thinking about the rose he had hidden in his pack.

"Yes?" She said tentatively.

"Mine was about a sister... And her children?" Alistair said. His vocabulary suffered around her. _Come on, complete sentences!_

"Yes, I remember." Mirra said.

"Well...I do actually have a sister, named Goldanna, and she lives in Denerim."

"I see. And...?" Mirra said.

"I was hoping we could visit her while we are there." Alistair said.

"Oh...sure, we should have time. Do you know where she lives?" Mirra asked.

"Yes, I think so. It is near the marketplace." He told her.

"It shouldn't be a problem. We've got to visit the market anyway." She told him. "Would you like me to come with you?"

Alistair's spirits soared. "Would you? That would be great! Thank you so much!"

"I'll let you know once we're headed to the market." She looked him over. "I'd say clean your armor, but you seem to have that covered. You might consider a bath when find lodgings in Denerim. You still smell unpleasantly of the last batch of darkspawn we ran into."

Alistair took a sniff of his shoulder. _Uggg. Darn, darn, darn. _"Thank you, Mirra." Alistair quickly shifted away from her.

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Wynne watched Mirra as she entered Denerim. Upon entering the city proper she pulled her hood far over her head, then proceeded to hide herself in the middle of their little group, much to the amusement of Morrigan and Zevran. Leliana and Alistair kept trying to engage her in a conversation about her unusual activity, since she was usually at the front of their group. Wynne decided to help her out.

"Mirra? Would you like assistance in hiding from the guard?" Wynne asked.

"Yes, please." Mirra said after a tense pause.

Sten, Alistair, and Zevran set up a perimeter around Mirra. Zevran was remarkably good at the deception, most likely from previous experience. Alistair was the most comical in his attempts, serving to attract attention more than deceive. After a few moments Zevran grabbed him and gave him some pointers. Sten just walked near her. Qunari were still rare enough to draw the gaze of anyone looking.

Leliana drew near Wynne to ask "What is Mirra wanted for?"

"I do not know, but she told me it is the reason she joined the Grey Wardens." Wynne told her. _Though from the looks of her scar, whoever it was had it coming._

Mirra steered them towards an Inn, where she procured rooms for everyone except her and Rex. "I'll stay in the Alienage. Wynne, I believe you have some research to conduct?" Wynne nodded at her. "Alistair, Leliana, Morrigan, and Rex are with me. The rest of you are off until tomorrow, try to stay out of trouble." Mirra gave Zevran a look at the end. He nodded at her with a cocky smile. Wynne hurried towards the library.

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Morrigan was not enjoying her afternoon. First they had gone to see Alistair's truly awful sister. After thirty seconds she could tell the whiny harpy was without a single positive quality. She lost what little manners she had once she figured out they weren't prospective customers. Then the evil sister blamed Alistair for her mother's death. As if he retained the mental capacity to cause his mother's death as he was birthed by her. Then she had the gall to demand money from him as though it was his fault she allowed herself to be knocked up four times by a man that was unable or unwilling to support his offspring. It was appalling. Mirra had eventually dragged Alistair out of the house.

Their next stop hadn't been pleasant either. They faced a huge gate that had been shut over the Alienage. Mirra had been close to tears after Alistair had questioned the guard. There was a plague in the Alienage and no one was allowed in. She could not check on her family or friends. After they left the gate Mirra had stalked to a corner and sat down. It had taken Leliana several minutes to calm her down, and several more minutes before they were moving again.

Now they were in a battle with several mages and a skilled archer. Leliana's former mentor/friend/lover had not been agreeable to leaving her alone forever, as Mirra insisted. Morrigan couldn't be sure if the growl that followed came from the dog or Mirra. Alistair was handling one of the mages with some assistance from Leliana. Morrigan had just frozen the other Mage when an arrow pierced her shoulder, making her drop her staff with a yell.

"Morrigan!" Mirra yelled before turning towards Marjorlaine, who took a step backwards before cocking another arrow. Morrigan dropped her other arm and grabbed her staff, getting off winter's grasp right before Mirra slammed her sword through Marjorlaine. The satisfying crash put a smile on her face, then the pain hit and wiped it back off. Within a few seconds the other Mage was down. Mirra ran over to Morrigan to look at the arrow.

"Of all the times for the preachy school mistress to be elsewhere..." Morrigan said.

"Roll on your side, Morrigan." Mirra said.

"Ouch." Morrigan said as she did.

"The barb went all the way through, Morrigan. I'm going to cut it off and pull out the arrow. Then we'll give you a few potions." Mirra told her. "Is that ok?"

"Very well." Morrigan looked off to the other side of the room.

"Leliana?" Mirra held out her hand. Leliana handed Mirra her very sharp knife.

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Morrigan flexed her shoulder after Mirra helped her to her feet. Mirra and Leliana had done a good job. They were starting to annoy her, though. All the smiling...and the touching...and constantly trying to be near each other. _'Tis all so obvious, and unnecessary. If you like someone, drag them to your tent and be done with it. What's with all the suspense?_ The only person still clueless was Alistair. The fool was as thick as a brick.

Morrigan could tell Alistair was still shaken by their visit to his sister. He was currently moping in the corner, staring at the ground. He looked up whenever Mirra was near, though not for anyone else. Hopefully he did not start any drama, Mirra was obviously not interested.

Morrigan shifted her staff back to her main arm, watching as Mirra gave Leliana a finely crafted bow. Suffering through the overbearing _thank you_ and _so kind_ spiel was almost unbearable. _As if Mirra had any other archers to give a bow._ Then she gave her a kiss on the cheek. _Aaugh._

"May we be from this place? I understand we have some legend to chase fruitlessly." Morrigan said loudly.

"Yes, Morrigan. We shall leave right away." Mirra said, still flush from the kiss.

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Morrigan was studying Brother Genetivi's assistant closely. They were in Genetivi's house, searching for clues to the missing Brother's location, who should lead them to the Urn of Sacred Ashes…allegedly. The assistant gave them a location, but his answers were bothering Morrigan. Mirra was troubled as well, or else they would have left. Morrigan caught a faint scent of something in the air. She shifted her mental viewpoint into a wolf briefly to more closely analyze the smell. _Human blood, weeks old, but a lot of it._ She looked down at the dog, who was growling very quietly. "You smell it too, don't you?" She whispered to the dog.

Mirra and the human were discussing the Brother's work.

"Mirra? Might I have a quick word?" Morrigan asked. Mirra turned and caught her expression.

"Excuse me sir..." Mirra nodded at the man and walked back to Morrigan.

Morrigan quietly let her know. "Human blood, back room, a lot of it." Mirra's eyes grew wide. She composed herself and returned to the human. Morrigan gripped her staff tightly. She heard Leliana slowly step back to give herself more room. She had heard the conversation as well.

"Can I take a look in the back room?" Mirra asked the man, as polite as ever.

"No!" The man said, a little too forcefully. "You…might mess up Genetivi's papers!" _What kind of excuse is that?_ Morrigan backed up as well. The dog was openly growling now.

"I promise I won't make a mess. Just let me see..." Mirra told him.

"No! I forbid it!" He said with a wave of his arm.

"Forbid it? That sounds a bit more enthusiastic than necessary to ensure paperwork neatness." Mirra started walking past him towards a door.

"No! You have no right!" Then Morrigan felt him start to pull power. Alistair apparently felt it as well. He whipped up his shield and caught the man's chin with the edge. He flew into a wall and crumpled to the floor, knocked out cold. Mirra walked into the back, coming back soon after with some papers.

"Genetivi's real assistant is in the back lying in a pool of dried blood. It's anyone's guess who this guy is. These pieces of paper say Genitivi went to a town in the west called Haven. That will have to be our next stop." Mirra told them.

After leaving Genitivi's Mirra asked Alistair, "Alistair? Do you need to replenish your lyrium supplies? We're heading to a magic shop."

Morrigan perked up. _Magic shop?_ Then Mirra looked back at her and smiled. _What is she up to?_

The Wonders of Theadas. Morrigan had never seen such a place. She was surprised they didn't have Templars guarding the door. She immediately walked to the nearest bookshelf and pulled down a promising book about the source of mana.

After what seemed like a few minutes Mirra bumped her arm. "Yes?"

"Are you ready to go? I asked you three times already." Mirra asked.

"You can wait outside. I'll be out in a few minutes." Morrigan said, returning to her book.

"It's been several hours already. Everyone else is already outside." Mirra told her.

"Really?!" Morrigan said, looking towards the door.

"Here..." Mirra stuffed a few coins in her hand. "Buy the book and meet me outside."

Morrigan watched her walk outside then paid for the book and followed. She looked strangely at Mirra as they returned to the Inn for the night.

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Morrigan looked up from her book at a loud knock on her door. Mirra was outside the door with a long, thin, wrapped package.

"Here." She handed the package to Morrigan, who didn't know what to think.

"What is this?"

"It's a gift, for you." Mirra said with half a grin.

"You act as if I should be used to receiving gifts." Morrigan said.

"Well, say thank you, then unwrap the package." Mirra said with a big smile.

"Ok...thank you." Then she unwrapped the package. It was a staff, and felt very powerful in her hands. Her mouth opened involuntarily.

"I wanted to get you a robe with more protection, but I didn't think you would wear it. The staff is supposed to help your cold spells, among other properties." Mirra was searching her face. The staff thrummed with power in her hands. No one had ever given her a gift of any kind. This was the staff of a lifetime. All thanks to the most unlikely source, a little elf girl from the bad part of the city.

"'Twas an auspicious day when you walked into my wilds. Thank you, Mirra." Morrigan looked at the grin on Mirra's face. "Don't expect a kiss on the cheek, though."

"Of course not. It wouldn't be proper." The smile never left her face.


	6. Chapter 6

Marked with Shame

Chapter 6

Bioware owns rights to all characters.

They started the trek to Haven the next day. The air was decidedly cooler, and Mirra was pleased they picked up thick cloaks and warm boots to make the journey. She smiled at the thought of Leliana in the shoe store. She had been giddy for the first time since their encounter with Marjorlaine. Mirra had to steer her away from the fancy shoes several times. She made note of the styles Leliana looked at, just in case she ran across anything similar.

Mirra took a glance towards Leliana where she walked in silence, off to the side of their group. She was obviously lost in her thoughts. Something Marjorlaine said bothered her. The bard let her know she wanted some time to think. Mirra would support her in any way she needed.

"Tis impolite to stare, Mirra." Morrigan told her from her spot at Mirra's side. Mirra quickly glanced over at her friend with an embarrassed smile. She hadn't realized it, but she had been staring at Leliana for some time.

"Caught me again." Mirra said sheepishly. "Did you learn anything in your new book? You've had enough time to read through it several times."

"Yes, actually. It discusses several meditation techniques to extend your power reserves. I should be able to maintain the frost on your blade and add a new effect that slows down enemies that are close to me." Morrigan told her.

"That sounds great!" Mirra paused to think. "Will that make them mad at you?"

"You...might want to stay close. 'Tis likely to make them uncomfortable." Morrigan said.

"I'll do my best. Let me know if you are threatened."

"Speaking of threat, I believe Alistair has a crush on you." Morrigan said with a glance over her shoulder. She had noticed him staying close to her.

Mirra sighed. She was hoping to avoid this. "So I've got to let him know he has no chance while trying not to crush his spirit. I guess it is too late to act like a bitch around him to drive him away."

"Tis doubtful it would make any difference. You might not have noticed, but the dog has more intelligence. Zevran picked up on your predilections within a couple minutes, but not Alistair. You and the bard have been fawning over each other for a month and he still hasn't figured it out."

"Fawning?" Mirra asked cheekily.

"Oh yes, even the school mistress figured it out. She might try to talk to you about it. Speaking of which, did she give you any hope about your scar?"

"Don't talk so loud!" Mirra said, glancing around. After she saw no one paying them any attention, she whispered to Morrigan. "Not much. She found a couple helpful tomes on healing she's looking through. Other than that, she wants to talk to the first enchanter, and she mentioned talking to the dwarves. Their warrior class would be covered head to foot in scars if they didn't have something to get rid of them."

"I see. We shall continue to hope." Mirra felt Morrigan's gaze upon her. She looked up to her face. "Mirra, if you don't mind me saying so, the bard might not consider it as much a revulsion as you might think. If I understand her history correctly, she likely has scars of her own."

"Most likely not a hideous term emblazoned across her chest." Mirra said, staring down at the road.

"Tis true, but you might give her a chance. She gazes at you often when you are not looking, though this particular journey seems to be the exception. It would appear the woman we killed said some things to upset her."

Mirra looked at Leliana again. "True, most likely when she implied that Leliana loved being a thief and killer, and was not meant for a life in service of the maker. We discussed it previously. I did not tell her, but I suspect it is true. She enjoys our adventure too much to hope for peace and tranquility. I will need to discuss it with her."

Morrigan gave her a knowing smile. Mirra blushed and looked back down to the road. "She's had a couple days, Mirra. You can probably talk to her at camp this evening."

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Zevran watched Mirra and Leliana have a discussion. It was obvious they were quite taken with each other. Their body language made it plain as day. They moved close to each other, touched each other unnecessarily, played with their hair, and kept looking at each other's lips. Only a fool could miss it.

Speaking of fool, Zevran shifted to look at Alistair. He seemed to be practicing some kind of speech. Zevran rolled his eyes. He already made one attempt to save Alistair the blow of rejection that was sure to come. _Make another attempt to save Alistair's dignity or flirt with the elder Mage and watch the fireworks? Hmmm._

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Wynne watched the interaction of Mirra and Leliana with conflicted thoughts. On one hand she was happy they were able to find some joy during this harrowing journey. On the other hand Mirra's duty as a Grey Warden may directly conflict with her desires should her and Leliana have a relationship. Speaking of which, Mirra was likely to intensify her requests about her scars. Wynne would need further study of the healing manuals she procured in Denerim.

"Hello Wynne, you are looking ravishing this evening." Zevran had joined her by her tent. Wynne didn't quite understand why Mirra had allowed the assassin to live, but he had lived up to his end of the bargain, and he was quite skilled.

"Evening Zevran. Give up on Morrigan already this evening?" Zevran had made passes at every female in their group, including herself, to Wynne's surprise.

Zevran chuckled. "She is a tough one. At this point it appears Mirra has a better chance than I, if she were interested. Which, from this vantage point, does not appear likely." He nodded towards Alistair. "Too bad he hasn't figured it out yet."

Wynne glanced at Alistair. "He isn't about to do anything rash, is he?"

"I imagine he is, once she has finished with Leliana. Thick headed boy. He's been practicing a speech all day, and he looks at his fellow warden fondly."

They watched Leliana and Mirra share a more than friendly hug. Then Leliana returned to the fire and Mirra walked over to visit with Morrigan at her fire. Alistair started towards her for a few steps, then stopped as she entered Morrigan's area. He returned to his spot by the fire and resumed talking to himself. She wasn't talking to Morrigan, just sitting by the fire, so he apparently did not want to talk to Mirra in the presence of Morrigan.

"Oh, dear." Wynne said. "He really does appear set on his course."

"I already warned him, but I might have used unfamiliar words...like 'not interested' and 'not her type'." Zevran told her.

"Would it make it worse if I talked to him?" Wynne asked.

"I don't know. With his chantry schooling and Templar training a girl who likes other girls might be so unknown as to be impossible to comprehend." Zevran said.

"I see. It might be best if he took the rejection directly from her." Wynne said.

"We shall see." Zevran said before running his eyes over Wynne. "It looks like it might be a cold night, Wynne. Would you like me to join you in your tent? Sharing body heat is one of the best ways to keep warm."

"No thank you, Zevran. I will be fine." Wynne shook her head at him.

"What a pity...such a fine figure of a woman." Zevran looked her over before walking off. Wynne was not used to this kind of attention. There were a few lechers in the tower, but they lacked the refinement of this elf, and they definitely did not focus their efforts on the grey haired set.

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Haven was a ghost town. There was a guard that made them feel as welcome as darkspawn at a royal ball, but still let them enter the town for supplies. Even the shop owner was rude, only allowing them to look through his inventory under protest. While Mirra was looking for anything worth having, Morrigan cleared her throat. Mirra looked back and Morrigan waved her over.

"More human blood, through that door." Morrigan whispered to her.

Mirra nodded. She walked over to the door. "Do you have any more stock back here?" She started in.

"Stop! You can't go in there!" The man said.

"Why not? What do you have hidden back there?" Mirra said, her expression the epitome of innocence.

"It's...private! You...can't..." He said to her back as she turned to enter the back of the shop. He tried to grab her.

"No." A huge hand grabbed his shoulder. He turned to see Sten glaring down at him.

Morrigan thought what happened next could only be considered mental illness. He wrenched his shoulder out of Sten's grip and pulled a knife out, chasing after Mirra. Morrigan couldn't be sure if he died from Sten's sword or Leliana's arrow. Mirra looked at the bloody body on the floor briefly, then walked deeper into the back room.

She returned quickly. "Looks like a Redcliffe knight back there, couple weeks dead. Weapons out, this town is bad news."

They exited the store to find some warriors and mages primed and ready to attack.

"Odd, those were the friendly villagers we met when we arrived." Morrigan said while sending a fireball into a group of axe wielding lunatics.

"You might think that kind of rudeness would be the pinnacle in this kind of town...but nooooo." Mirra responded.

The battle didn't last long. Mirra was much quicker than the crazy axe men, and Shale had enough pent up Mage anger to create little piles of bloody mush.

"Shale," Mirra said while holding up a shredded robe. "I would appreciate it if you would restrain yourself slightly around mages. Try not to stomp them into the ground."

"Tis possible they hold something valuable, after all." Morrigan added.

"Which we could use to purchase more sparkly crystals for you..." Mirra finished.

"I will try to hold back for it." Shale said while scraping bloody chunks off his feet.

"Thank you, Shale." Mirra said.

Morrigan led them by scent to a nearby house. "More human blood, much more. If it wasn't so cold out this house would be surrounded by stray animals."

Leliana picked the lock and allowed Mirra to enter. Morrigan had to lower her scent response or be overwhelmed as the door opened. Mirra came out quickly, even more pale than normal.

"They have an alter covered in blood. They must have some odd religious group here. It needs to be eradicated."

The town of Haven was built on a steep incline with several levels holding houses and shops. The very top level contained a large Chantry. They encountered a few more bands of villagers on their trek to the top, but none with any skill. Sounds drew them towards the chantry. They entered it with their weapons drawn.

"Religious zealots are the worst." Mirra said.

There was a crowd of unarmed civilians in front of a raised dias, listening to a male reverend preach about Andraste's glory. There were also several armed soldiers on either side of the door. They rose and readied themselves as Mirra strode to the dias. Shale and Sten shifted to cover their rear.

"A reverend Father? It is unheard of." Leliana said.

"He's a Mage." Alistair said.

"I see..." Mirra's stride gained more purpose.

"I see we have visitors." The preacher said. "Welcome to the Haven Chantry..."

"Don't even pretend this is a normal Chantry in a normal town." Mirra interrupted. "I've seen the bodies..." She pulled her sword off her back.

"This is why we must be vigilant to keep outsiders away, they do not respect our privacy." He said firmly. "Your sacrifice will be rewarded in heaven!" Instantly the civilians turned on Mirra and her group. The soldiers in the back also joined the fray.

Morrigan tried a new trick she learned from her book about mana. She sucked the power out of the reverend, and added it to her own. It wasn't a perfect transfer, but it worked well enough that the reverend was unable to cast the simplest of spells. She excitedly shot a fireball of the reverend's power back at him. It caused him enough distress that Leliana was easily able to take him down with an arrow. After that it was just a matter of wearing down the soldiers. The civilians didn't last long against Mirra's sword.

"Stupid humans." Mirra said, looking down at the blood covered corpses. "Are all really devout people insane?" She asked no one in particular.

"No." Leliana said, wrapping her arms around the elf from behind. The elf tensed briefly, relaxed into the bard's embrace.

Morrigan watched the exchange, rolling her eyes. _More touching...what is with these two? _She wandered over to the Mage to look for anything useful, but he was too crispy to have anything left not made out of metal. She did find a weird object the priest had on a necklace.

"There is a wall here underneath an archway. It looks suspiciously like a concealed door." Zevran said. Leliana searched around the arch and found a hidden switch. The wall shifted to the side, revealing an unadorned room with several dusty bookshelves and little else. There was a wounded human on the floor.

Mirra approached the man. "Genitivi?"

"Thank goodness. I thought the villagers returned to finish me off." The man sat up, but he couldn't put weight on one of his legs.

"Wynne?" Mirra turned to the healer.

"Got it, Mirra." Wynne approached Genitivi and laid her hands on his ankle. After a few moments he was able to get to his feet.

"The shrine is just up the hill, though we need a medallion worn by the elder." Genitivi said, apparently not one to dwell on his recent captivity.

"Here, Mirra." Morrigan handed the necklace to her.

"Thank you, Morrigan." Mirra gave her a smile, taking the medallion and giving it it Genitivi. He led them up the mountain to the entrance.

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Leliana was getting sick of ice and dragons. Genitivi led them into some kind of ruins, filled with insane zealots trying to kill them, of course. Behind the ruins were caverns with stalactites, stalagmites, and other cave formations that would be quite pretty if they weren't surrounded by even more crazy people. These fanatics actually believed the prophet Andraste was reborn in the form of a dragon. So they had dragon eggs, little dragonkins, and drakes all over the place. The little ones would be cute if they weren't trying to eat them.

Leliana still couldn't believe they were on the path to Andraste's ashes. This adventure was even more enlightening than she imagined. Not only that, but Mirra was showing more acceptance towards her affections. In battle she was exciting to watch, but her empathy was what really tugged on Leliana's heart strings. Anyone who asked for assistance received it. The self deprecation of the beautiful elf still baffled her, though. The elf was beautiful. Leliana found herself staring when Mirra was out of her armor.

They entered a cavern to see a group of well armed fanatics.

"Oh joy, more crazies." Morrigan said.

"We do seem to encounter them with some frequency..." Mirra said.

"Tis a disturbing trend, but at least we're not recruiting from this particular group." Morrigan stated. "Unlike our previous adventures."

"Alistair, Leliana, and Morrigan, you're on the mages. Everyone else on the fighters. I've got the bearded fellow with the big fucking axe."

"You will go no further!" The bearded fellow said.

"No? You going to stop us?" Mirra asked, pulling her sword off her back and walking towards him at speed.

"Attack!" The bearded guy didn't really need to issue the command, all his comrades were in motion. Alistair headed to the nearest Mage. Leliana took careful aim and put an arrow through the other mages chest. He crumpled. Leliana glanced back to see Mirra leaping into the air swinging her massive sword down on the bearded one. Somehow he managed so stop her fierce blow, but it was close. Then Mirra whipped her sword in a low arc, catching him with a blow across the shin. _Stop it! You're not helping Mirra by watching her! _Leliana quickly glanced to Alistair's target, putting an arrow through the mage's staff arm. He didn't last long after that.

The other fighters were all dispatched. Mirra and the bearded one were the only ones still fighting. At least now she could be observed without losing focus on some other target. Leliana could tell Mirra was getting tired, and she wanted to help. Unfortunately Leliana couldn't find a safe shot. Mirra was moving so fast she didn't want to risk hitting her.

"Can you hit his leg?" Leliana looked over to see Morrigan looking at her closely.

"Yes. I think so..." She told her.

Morrigan pulled an arrow out of Leliana's quiver, and said an incantation to the head, handing her the arrow once complete. "Aim for the seam at the ankle, do not touch the barb."

Leliana could feel the cold emanating from the tip of her arrow. She cocked it and let it fly. Normally this wouldn't do enough damage to matter to a huge fighter like the bearded one, but she could only guess what Morrigan's spell would do.

"Auggh!" The man said, looking down at his ankle. He said it loud enough that Mirra backed up for a second. Then she saw the arrow poking out of the man's foot. He was rooted to the spot, and some sort of mist was crawling up his leg. "Andraste! Ahhh...Ahhhh! " The man was freezing solid. The mist crawled up his chest, and his screams reached a frenzy.

Leliana glanced at Morrigan to see her grinning. "Mirra shouldn't have any trouble, now."

"Finish it, Mirra!" Leliana said. The man was needlessly suffering at this point.

Mirra nodded, the swung her sword in a wide arc, chopping the man in half. When the top half hit the ground it shattered.

Mirra picked up the man's axe. Leliana could tell she liked the feel of it as she swung it a few times. She glanced at Sten.

"I prefer a sword." Her told her. She grinned wide, looking closely at the intricate pattern built into the head of the axe. Leliana smiled at Mirra looking so pleased. Especially since she had personally assisted in the kill.

She looked to her side. "Thank you, Morrigan."

"Think not upon it, sister." She said before walking away to look at the cave formations in the large room. Leliana shook her head and wandered over to Mirra. Wynne was healing Sten while everyone else checked the bodies for anything useful. Leliana crouched down behind the elf, who was sitting on a rock, still studying the intricate head on her new axe. Leliana looked over her shoulder and talked quietly onto her ear. "Does it say anything?"

Mirra jerked, startled. She looked to see who was so close, then relaxed, leaning her head closer to Leliana. "No...but the patterns are beautiful."

Leliana leaned her head against Mirra's. "Then it matches its owner."

Mirra pulled away quickly, shaking her head.

"Why do you do that, Mirra? You are beautiful!"

"If you only knew..." It came out as quiet as a whisper.

"Knew what? You are!" Leliana said, exasperated.

"I don't want to talk about it." Mirra got up and walked away. Leliana could see her tearing up.

Leliana watched her go with her mouth standing open. She just didn't understand.

"Don't give up, Leliana. She needs someone." Wynne was standing next to her, watching the infuriating elf walk away.

"Tis likely you should give up on the complements, though. They upset her." Morrigan added from her other side.

She looked to each of them in turn. "You know why she acts this way."

Wynne looked embarrassed. "She forbid us from discussing it."

"It? What is it? Does she have a scar on her chest? Why would that bother me? She knows I have plenty myself. Why does a complement set her off?" Leliana asked, watching the elf. She appeared to be intentionally not looking in their direction.

"Tis not our place to say." Morrigan answered.

"I am helping Mirra with her...problem." Wynne said, patting Leliana on the back. "I am hopeful we will find a solution."

"That tells me absolutely nothing." Leliana said, giving them both a glare.

"Do not give up, Leliana. She is quite fond of you, though tis not always apparent." Leliana and Wynne both looked at Morrigan in shock. The witch was saying something nice, to help someone else. Their eyes were wide and their mouths were open. Morrigan shook her head at them and walked towards Mirra and the exit.

Wynne and Leliana followed her out of the cave.

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"Maker! A fucking dragon!" Mirra yelled after ducking under cover.

"I thought they were extinct!" Alistair said.

"Apparently not. Stay hidden! Everyone!" Mirra called out.

The huge dragon flew overhead shrieking so loud everyone had their ears covered. Fortunately it flew to a nearby hilltop and laid down, quickly drifting off to sleep.

"Quiet everyone." Mirra led the way across a clear area. There were desiccated ruins to the right and less destroyed ruins to the left. The ancient ruins ahead of them looked the most complete and well built. They entered the ruins to see a well armored human waiting for them at the opposite end of the room, standing patiently.

She approached the man with trepidation.

"Welcome to the gauntlet. You have come to honor Andraste, and you shall, if you prove yourself worthy. You will endure a series of tests to prove yourselves worthy." The armored man said, his armor shining brightly.

"We need the ashes to save a good man." Mirra told him.

"It does not matter. If you are found worthy, you will see the urn and be allowed to take a small pinch of the ashes for yourself."

"All right, let's get this over with." Mirra said.

"Before you begin, there is something I must ask. I see that the path that led you here was not easy. There is suffering in your past-your suffering, and the suffering of others.

"By the time you reached Shianni, she was broken, brutalized. You were too late. Tell me, pilgrim, did you fail Shianni?"

"Of course. I didn't reach her in time. I was being held down and..." She glanced at her companions and fell silent.

"You are too hard on yourself. No one's perfect." Alistair told her.

"Is there any religion that does not thrive upon guilt like a glutton at his lunch? No? I thought not." Morrigan added with contempt.

"You could not have known what would happen. You did your best." Leliana said.

"And it wasn't good enough..." Mirra finished.

"And what of your companions..." The guardian turned away from her and starting quizzing the rest of her team. Mirra's mind was brought back to Shianni, and the rest of her family. She wasn't fast enough to save her cousin, and she didn't even know if any of them were alive. She felt guilty for her heavy purse and her freedom. She even felt guilty for falling in love. A dark cloud fell over her. She was important now. Why was she more worthy than anyone else in the Alienage. She perked up when the Guardian addressed Morrigan.

"And you, Morrigan, Flemeth's daughter... What-." The guardian started.

"Don't bother, Guardian." Mirra said with a crooked smile.

"I will not play your games, spirit." Morrigan waved him off.

"I will respect your wishes. The way is open. Good luck, and may you find what you seek." The guardian stood to the side to let them pass.

They passed through a hallway to find a bank of doors. Their names were lit up above a door, one for each. Just to see what would happen Zevran tried to walk through Morrigan's door. He smacked up against an invisible barrier of some kind.

"I guess we separate here..." Mirra said, walking towards her door in the middle. Morrigan was to one side of her, Leliana was on the other. Leliana gave her a smile before going through her door.

Mirra walked into the dark doorway, then out into an open area. She saw the back of a female elf, a very familiar female elf. The elf turned around.

"Hey." The elf said.

"Shianni!" Mirra exclaimed.

"It's good to see you, cousin. Life out there's been good to you, hasn't it? You're respected, even among humans. Do you remember us, where you came from, and what some of us still face every day?"

"Of course I do! You know I didn't leave by choice! I didn't even know you were still alive!" Mirra was taken aback by Shianni's insinuation. Tears started forming in her eyes. "I hate myself for not reaching you in time." She stared at the floor for a moment. "Wait...how did you get here? Are you really you?"

"I am Shianni, as you knew me, cousin. As you might appear to her in a dream, so do I appear to you, here."

Mirra didn't know what to think. "Are you alive? Will we meet again?"

"All will be revealed in time, cousin. For now, let me tell you this; do not despair your scars, they will not drive true love away."

"But...I didn't tell you about them. How could you know?" Mirra's hand unconsciously shifted to her chest.

"As I said, I am as a dream. Perhaps you told me in your dreams." Shianni gave a small smile. "Some things are learned only when you find them yourself. Still, you have come far. Seeing you now gives me hope, for all of us."

Mirra looked back at the stone floor. "I love you, Shianni." When she looked back up Shianni was gone. She took a few moments to recover herself, then walked forward.

Morrigan was waiting for her on the other side of the bank of doors.

"Everything alright, Morrigan?"

"'Twas another spirit. You?"

"The same..." Mirra looked in on direction to see Sten and Zevran leaning against the wall. In the opposite direction Rex was running in circles around Shale. When he noticed Mirra he changed direction and headed towards her.

"You might check on Leliana, Mirra." Morrigan said, pointing towards the base of a nearby pillar. Mirra looked towards the pillar to see Leliana huddled in a ball leaning against the stone. She rushed over and crouched down to look into Leliana's face. Rex followed her and sat down at her feet. Her eyes were unfocused and she had tear streaks down her cheeks.

"Leliana, are you Ok?" Mirra asked while wiping the tears away.

Leliana blinked, then looked at her. "Mirra! Marjorlaine was in there, saying the meanest things..."

"It was a spirit, pretending to be Marjorlaine." Mirra told her, taking one of her hands to pull her up.

"Are you sure? She looked and acted exactly like I remember." Leliana shook her head, as if trying to remove the image from her mind.

"My spirit pretended to be someone who isn't dead, or someone whom I'm pretty sure isn't dead. She's too stubborn to die." Mirra told her with a reassuring smile. "She also told me about something she couldn't possibly know."

"I see. Thank you Mirra." Leliana gave her a hug.

"May we proceed?" Morrigan said loudly. "I am ready to be away from this crypt." Rex hopped up and started circling Morrigan excitedly, much to her chagrin.

Mirra pulled out of the hug to shake her head at Morrigan, giving her a crooked smile. She looked around to see Wynne and Alistair out as well. Both of them looked disturbed, but both were able to proceed.

"Let's see what's next..." Mirra said, leading them into the next room. There were some shouts from across the room, and they were under attack. Luckily everyone knew their positions, because Mirra was transfixed. _Oh, no. _They were fighting themselves. Their adversaries were hazy, dark images of themselves, but each of them was represented. There was a dark stone version of Shale fighting Sten. Alistair headed towards the nearest Mage, which looked like Morrigan, except she was throwing a massive stone across the room, a spell Morrigan did not have. Shadow Leliana was dual wielding daggers against Shale. "They're shadow versions of us! Leliana and Morrigan! Take out the shadow Wynne!" There were so many of them. Mirra decided to play defense for Leliana, Morrigan, and Wynne.

Then she saw...herself. She had two small swords, and she was heading towards Morrigan. Mirra lunged at her, swinging her axe in a wide arc. Shadow Mirra deftly hopped over her huge axe and parried with a quick slash at her back. Mirra had to use the momentum of her axe to pull herself out of the path of the blades. Of course, this meant she was throwing herself onto the ground with some force. She rolled into it and attempted to right herself, but the shadow Mirra was on her, striking down hard with both blades. Mirra, still crouched on the ground, barely got her axe up in time to block the two blades. She scrambled backward and pulled herself to her feet, only to face another dual weapon blow. This time shadow Mirra swung her blades in opposite directions on a horizontal plane, attempting to chop her head off. Mirra ducked under the arcing blades and swung her axe through...the area where shadow Mirra used to be. _Damn I'm...she's fast._ Shadow Mirra had jumped to her side and took a backhanded swing at the back of her head. Mirra pulled back just enough so the blow hit her shoulder. It hurt, but not nearly as much as if Mirra had actually hit herself. It seemed shadow Mirra had traded some strength for quickness. If she could actually land a blow it might be all over.

Shadow Mirra dove in with a dual blade stab and Mirra barely got out of the way, again. _This is a disturbing trend. _Mirra decided to try something and swung her axe in another low arc, expecting and getting shadow Mirra to leap above the axe. Mirra kept the axe going all the way around, so as shadow Mirra came back down it was set to cleave her in two. Shadow Mirra managed to get her blades in the way of the blow, but the force of the blow sent her to the ground. Shadow Mirra got up and headed back at her. _I don't think I can beat her. Eventually she's going to catch me off balance... I hope everyone else is doing better than I am._ Mirra leapt to the side as another dual stab came at her. She managed to hit shadow Mirra with her axe handle as she passed by, but it didn't seem to hurt the shadowy fiend. _Of all the things to kill me...I get to die to myself._

Mirra twisted to avoid a blow and got hit in the side with the other blade. This one drew blood. She struggled to turn to face her attacker and saw the dual blades out of the corner of her eye. Time slowed down as she watched them flash in the light. They were arcing down towards her back. Her eyes grew wide as she vainly tried to shift out of the way.

Several things happened at once; shadow Mirra was hit in the side with an arrow a split second before she was frozen solid. As the frozen shadow figure toppled forward Shale's huge fist smashed down and rendered it into a pile of ice.

Mirra was kneeling on the floor, breathing heavily. She looked around to notice all other shadows were defeated. All her companions were in a large circle around her. Apparently her shadow was the most difficult to defeat. Her side gave her a sharp pain and she collapsed to the floor.

"Wynne!" Leliana yelled while running to her side.

"It's not that bad." Mirra told them as Wynne approached. "I'm just tired."

"We'll see about that." Wynne said. "Pull up the armor on her side."

Leliana pulled up Mirra's armor to reveal a deep gash. Wynne held her hands to it and Mirra felt the warm healing magic flow through her. The pain left her as Leliana stroked her face. Alistair was pacing to one side.

Mirra sat up and felt her side. "Can't heal away the tiredness, Wynne?" She gave the healer a crooked smile.

"Sorry, Mirra, that is out of the breadth of my experience." Wynne smiled back.

Morrigan spoke up, "tis a compliment to find you are your own worst enemy, Mirra."

"I suppose it is, at that. Remind me to never experience it again." Mirra answered sarcastically. Leliana helped pull her up.

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The next room was ornate, with tall pillars along each wall, and a finely crafted stone floor. There was a small altar near the entrance, but what instantly drew their attention was the wall of fire extending across the room. The fire was as tall as Mirra, and if she had to guess, was probably hot enough to burn all the way to the ceiling high above them. Beyond the fire scaled a stairway to a dias. The dias held a statue of Andraste, with an ornate urn in front of her. _The Urn of Sacred Ashes, no doubt._

Mirra crouched and read some writing on the side of the altar. She cursed, instantly knowing what it was telling them to do.

_Cast off the trappings of worldly life and cloak yourself in the goodness of spirit. King and slave, lord and beggar; be born anew in the Maker's sight._

"Damnit! Maker's bloody irony..." Mirra stalked off to stare at a blank spot of wall, cursing under her breath.

Leliana and Wynne looked at each other in confusion, then crouched down to read the inscription. Mirra started pulling off her armor, still facing the wall, and still cursing.

Leliana got up and turned to face the rest of the group. "Gentlemen, please turn around and face the wall." Some of them hesitated, but when they glanced at Mirra pulling off her armor they complied.

"I'm no gentleman..." Zevran said.

"'Tis in your best interest to comply, Zevran." Morrigan walked towards him and gave him a glare.

"Anything for you, my alluring witch." He gave her a sly smile and turned towards the wall.

Mirra pulled off her pants, then finally unbuttoned her shirt, glancing over her shoulder to make sure Leliana wasn't looking. She was still making sure the men were staring at the wall. Still unsure, Mirra covered her scars with her hands then walked up to the wall of fire. She could feel the heat from several feet away. She glanced back to Morrigan, who shrugged her shoulders. _No help there. _She made sure Leliana was still looking away, then reached out her hand to check the heat closer to the fire. It did not get any hotter. She walked towards the flame, starting to sweat. It was hot, very hot. But it wasn't burning. She gritted her teeth and walked quickly through the flames.

Leliana couldn't resist the urge to glance at the little elf as she made her way up the stairs. Her excitement at finding the Urn of Sacred Ashes was only enhanced at the sight of the nearly nude elf. A shiver ran down her spine.

_Whack! _Leliana looked over to see Morrigan pulling her staff back from Zevran's head. She couldn't help but smile. Then she saw the guardian enter, walking through the fire, and heading towards Mirra, who would most likely not be happy.

"You have been through the trials of the Gauntlet;." Mirra whipped around, hands flying to her chest. Leliana saw the movement with her peripheral vision, glad she was not caught peeking. "You have walked the trials of Andraste, and like her, you have been cleansed. You have proven yourself worthy, pilgrim. Approach the Sacred Ashes." The guardian said. He turned and left the room. The fire wall extinguished. Morrigan grabbed Mirra's shirt and delivered it to her. Mirra nodded and put it on, facing away from everyone. Then turned back and headed for the rest of her clothes, with only her underwear on her lower half. Alistair had the morals to look embarassed, though it didn't appear to bother Mirra in the least. Leliana thought it was odd Mirra wasn't worried about her exposed lower half, but was dreadfully fearful of showing her chest. She obviously wasn't shy by nature, something about her scar forced it upon her. Once Mirra returned to the stairs Leliana remembered the gravity of the situation. _The Urn of Sacred Ashes!_ She would recall this moment forever.

"I have never dreamed I would ever lay my eyes on the Urn of Sacred Ashes...I...I have no words to express." Leliana said.

"I didn't think anyone could succeed in finding Andraste's final resting place, but here...here she is." Alistair said.

Mirra opened the urn and took a pinch of the dust/ashes. She put it in a small pouch, then returned the lid to the urn. On the way back down the stairs she noted the difference between Morrigan and Leliana in this place. Leliana was in rapt attention, gazing up at the statue and urn with awe. Morrigan was leaning against a wall near the door, shaking her head in disgust at the two or three companions paying their respects. She propped herself up against the wall next to Morrigan.

"Sheep...that's all they are." Morrigan said.

"You don't believe in the holy magic involved, or don't believe any one human deserves such respect?" Mirra asked.

"Neither, actually." Morrigan told her. "The magic exists, we've seen it in practice. And the woman was likely a noble woman with great skill. The problem comes from the disconnect between the woman and the current rules of the Chantry. She might have waged war against the imperium to free normal people from mages, but that shouldn't automatically translate to 'let's lock up all mages in a tower and kill them if they ever escape!' It's barbaric."

"I agree. What do you think should be done?" Mirra asked.

"The circles should be dissolved, and all mages freed." Morrigan answered.

"And the mages who commit crimes?" Mirra asked.

"Should be treated exactly the same as anyone else who commits a crime." Morrigan stated.

"Even if they can open locks and shoot fireballs without any weapons at all?" Mirra continued.

"They would obviously need the Templars to catch and hold the criminal mages. That doesn't give them the right to lock all mages up for life." Morrigan hit her staff against the ground to emphasize her point.

Mirra agreed with her. "Good point. If I had a son or daughter who showed signs of magic, it would devastate me to see them dragged off to a circle somewhere. I do think they should have free schools for them everywhere, to make sure they are prepared to resist demonic influence."

"As long as they are not mandatory." Morrigan added.

"So a witch of the wilds can be properly trained?" Mirra grinned at her.

Morrigan let a smile appear briefly before answering. "As you say."


	7. Chapter 7

Marked with Shame

Chapter 7

Bioware owns rights to all characters.

Mirra and the rest of her companions found themselves back in Redcliffe, and Mirra found herself in a well needed bath. Washing off all the blood felt fabulous. Mirra leaned back against the stones in her wash basin, staring at the ceiling.

The sacred ashes had healed the Arl, and he declared them Champions of the realm. Now they were getting some much needed rest after their rush back from Haven and the ruins. Next they were going to visit the Dalish. In her sheltered life in the alienage she'd never met a dalish elf. She had heard there was some animosity between city born and the wild elves, but nowhere near the hatred the Dalish held for humans. Thoughts of the Alienage brought guilt to her mind. Here she was, an Alienage born elf who left her family and friends in squalor and a plague, and she was eating the best food, staying in a room with a personal servant. She heard the door quietly open. _Speaking of which..._

"M'lady? Can I assist you in any way? Fresh towels or more hot water?" The elf girl assigned to her was almost a pest, her inquiries were so frequent.

"No! And as I mentioned, I am not 'Lady' or 'm'lady', I'm just Mirra."

"Yes, m'lady... Mirra. Sorry, m'lady." Mirra assumed the Lady Isolde had insisted on this kind of treatment for years. The poor girl didn't know any different. "I can wash your back if you would like."

"No, thank you. I've got it covered." _I wouldn't mind a certain redhead to wash my back, though... _The girl left her alone. Mirra closed her eyes. Her mind drifted to her favorite human. Recalling the long hug they shared the night before. They had entered a routine. Every evening before bed Leliana would tell her a story. Mirra found herself leaning against Leliana during the stories recently, and if she minded, Leliana did not say. The contact was soothing and exciting at the same time.

Her hands started to drift over her body, thoughts of the bard running through her mind. _What I would do to wash your body. What would you do to mine? _Mirra pinched a nipple, relishing the tingle it sent down her spine. Her other hand went lower, teasing her folds. _Would you touch me here? _ _Would you kiss me here? _Her finger went to her most sensitive nub and started to circle it slowly. _Would you let me do this to you? _She felt the heat begin to rise, and circled faster. Her other hand stroked her breasts, sending more pleasure to her core. _Would you let me bring you to climax with my tongue?_ Her finger was working her clit in a frenzy. _Almost...almost...almost... _

There was a knock at the door. Mirra groaned in frustration. "I don't need any towels, or hot water, or anything!" She yelled.

"Mirra?" Leliana said through the door.

"Leliana?!" Mirra exclaimed. The object of her recent musings showing up made for a shock.

"Can I come in?" Leliana asked through the door.

"Of course!" Mirra said, quickly pulling herself out of the bath. "Just a minute. I was in the bath..." She searched for a towel and started feverishly dying herself off.

"I can come back later." Leliana said through the door.

"No! It's fine! Just give me a few moments to put something on..." She searched for her underclothes. They were nowhere to be found. _The elf girl, she took them to get cleaned._ Nothing to wear but the dress Lady Isolde gave her. _I guess we're going without underwear. _Mirra grabbed it and slipped it over her head. Luckily it had a high neck. Her hair was still wet and dripping, but at least she was clothed.

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Leliana waited patiently at the door. The thought of Mirra in a bath was creating nice thoughts in her mind.

Mirra opened the door at last, looking delectable in another nice dress. Leliana smiled at her. "Hi!" Mirra said. She looked a little red. Well-scrubbed and warm from the bath, Leliana assumed.

"I didn't mean to pull you from your well-deserved bath, Mirra."

"It's fine Leliana, you are welcome anytime, to interrupt me...that sounded better in my head." Mirra said, looking adorably embarrassed. Leliana could hardly resist the urge to pull her into a fierce hug.

"It must have been a hot bath, you are all red." Leliana said with a warm smile. Mirra turned even more red. She waited patiently.

"Oh! I asked you to come... I have something for you." Mirra said once she regained her composure.

"You have something for me?" Leliana entered and closed the door. Mirra quickly walked over to the desk, bringing back some flowers in a vase.

"I stole a vase from Lady Isolde's room, because it was the only one good enough for you." Mirra held the vase out to Leliana expectantly.

Leliana took the vase including some relatively plain white flowers. "Thank you, Mirra. They are lovely." She gave Mirra a smile then the aroma overwhelmed her. "Oh my! These are Andraste's Grace! I cannot believe you remembered me telling you about them!"

"Of course I remembered. The way you described them made them seem very important to you." Mirra smiled wide at her reaction.

"Thank you so much! I can't believe you remembered after such a long time...it's been several weeks!" Leliana put down the vase and pulled Mirra into an enthusiastic hug, pulling Mirra off the ground slightly. The tightness of the embrace let Leliana know Mirra wasn't wearing anything under the dress. Her heart beat a little faster. She could also feel the scarring on Mirra's chest, not that it bothered her in the least. She did feel Mirra stiffen a little at the obvious contact. In an attempt to distract Mirra, she dared a quick kiss on the elf's neck, delighting in the shiver she felt from Mirra.

Leliana released her. Both were flushed from the close contact.

"Thank you, Mirra. This means a lot to me." Leliana looked deep into her eyes. She could see the desire, but decided not to push her luck. She didn't want Mirra to close her out again. "I will leave you to your bath, it is probably still warm."

Mirra grabbed her hand. "Wait. Leliana...will you stay and tell me a story? They help me sleep."

"Of course..." Leliana looked at her fondly. "Have I told you the story of Aveline, the Knight of Orlais?"

Mirra shook her head and crawled into bed smiling. Leliana sat down next to her on the bed.

"A long time ago, a girl child was born to a farmer. He had hoped for a son..." Leliana told the entire tale, even though Mirra fell asleep quickly. Leliana got up and kissed her on the cheek, resisted the temptation to lie down next to her, and returned to her room to sleep.

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"Shem-lover." The statement was spat out near their group.

Morrigan decided the dalish were too rude to live. They called all humans "shems", which was bearable, but this was too much. The dalish saw Mirra and Leliana being a little too friendly, and found a way to apply their racial slur to the city elf as well. She pulled her staff from her back and was about to start hexing the whole group when Mirra pushed her hand back down.

"Morrigan, don't. It's ok." Mirra told her.

"'Tis rude! I shall put a hex on the lot of them." Morrigan retorted.

"I know, but I've heard worse. Hell, when I was younger I said worse. If I wasn't leading our little group they'd probably call me 'pet'"

"Just a little hex?" Morrigan asked.

"No. No hex of any kind. Be polite." Mirra said with a smile.

"'Tis unbecoming."

"I am aware, and so are all the reasonable among them."

Morrigan growled. They arrived in the Brecilian forest to find the Dalish cold and unwelcoming, even to Mirra. "You may be an elf, but you are not one of us." They told her as their twisted form of greeting. Now this "shem-lover" business. Morrigan knew they needed the Dalish to defeat the blight, but this was ridiculous. She was half tempted to throw a couple fireballs into one of their ramshackle wagons out of spite.

The Dalish camp was several intricately carved wagons surrounded by tents. The Dalish were all clothed in the same green colored leather, except the keeper and his assistant. They were in robes that appeared similar to mage's garb. From the staff the keeper was holding, he did appear to have magical abilities. Morrigan looked around at everyone while Mirra talked to the Keeper.

The Keeper, who was slightly more polite than the rest of his clan, was explaining his problem to Mirra. "We'd love to help you, and we know you have a contract, but...blah, blah, blah." Morrigan was getting tired of this theme. Everyone needed them to perform some service, or quest, or something. _Couldn't we find one group on the list that said "Sure! No problem. We'll send you our troops right away!"_ Looking over the wounded Dalish was disconcerting. They had been ambushed by werewolves, and the only way to solve the problem was to find the head werewolf Witherfang and cut out its heart. More work to do, it seemed.

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Zevran couldn't believe his luck. A clan full of luscious Dalish girls. They all wore an outfit straight out of his dreams. Short skirt, bare midrif, barely covered tops. It was all he could do to stop staring. He hadn't had female companionship since that pirate captain in Denerim...Isabela, he thought it was. He met her at the bar and she dragged him off to her room after just a few drinks. He didn't get much sleep that night.

The females in their little group were surprisingly immune to his charms. Even Wynne had not succumbed. Now he was looking at the buffet of his dreams, and he didn't know where to start.

"Don't even think about it." Mirra appeared at his shoulder.

"Mirra, it is lovely to see you as well. Can you believe the splendor of this part of the forest?"

"I know what you're thinking, and it isn't going to happen. You will behave while we are here."

"Mirra. You would deny me my fun at the same time you are getting frisky with the bard?"

"Yes, I would. Apparently it has earned me the title of 'shem-lover'." She told him firmly. "We need to maintain good relations with the Dalish. You may do as you wish in the cities, but keep it to yourself here."

"Would you and your bard like to keep me company this evening? I am best behaved when sated. I promise it will be a night to remember." Zevran told her.

Mirra gave him a glare. "Men." She stalked off towards the Dalish quartermaster.

He noticed Morrigan looking at him, so he sauntered over to her. "Morrigan, you are looking fabulous today."

"Did you know that queen spiders bite the heads off the males after mating?" She told him before following Mirra away. It made all the more impact, since Morrigan could change into a spider at will. Zevran shivered.

00000000

Getting Dalish support was taking a lot more effort than Alistair thought it would. They fought through the forest filled with werewolves, bears, darkspawn, and even some undead. Then they were forced to fight through some ancient elven ruins including mostly undead, but also a dragon, of all things.

Now they faced a group of werewolves, and Mirra was upset. Alistair always got uncomfortable when Mirra was upset. He always tried to say something to ease her mind, and almost always failed miserably. More often than not Leliana would interrupt and say just the right thing to soothe her.

The wolves wanted her to talk to some lady. Why they didn't mention it before they chopped down half their clan was unknown.

"Will I parlay? Of course I'll parlay! You attacked us first!" Mirra exclaimed, staring down the wolf men.

"Very well. We will take you to see the lady." The wolf growled. "But know this, if you go back on your word and harm her I will come back from the fade itself to kill you." Mirra rolled her eyes.

The wolf men led them through even more creepy ruins to a large chamber. The decorations matched the rest of the ruins. Stone archways and pillars were everywhere, interrupted by huge tree roots that broke through the walls and cracked the floors. Light filtered through holes in the walls. The large chamber had a platform in the middle with quite a few werewolves on and behind it.

As they watched a lady walked between the wolves toward them. Her skin tone was unusual, sort of a greenish gray. Alistair felt a blush rush up his face. He immediately looked away. She was completely naked! There were a few roots running up her legs and arms, but other than that, she didn't have a stitch of clothing.

"Spirit, Mirra." Morrigan said from close to his right.

Alistair glanced at Morrigan before returning his gaze to the lady, who apparently wasn't a real lady. The blush rose again. Alistair turned to look at the wolves. The lady soothed them somehow. They ceased growling.

She was saying something to Mirra about Zathrian, but he couldn't concentrate. He couldn't help but glance at the lady every minute or so, then blush, then look away. It was embarrassing.

Whack! Someone hit his head. Alistair turned to see Morrigan holding her staff menacingly.

"Coming, Alistair?" Mirra asked from the base of some stairs. Everyone but him and Morrigan were next to her, looking back at him with grins on their faces.

"Oh, yes!" He said, taking another quick glance at the lady. Morrigan raised her staff again. He took off after Mirra.

Mirra was kind enough to fill him in on the details he missed. Centuries ago the keeper Zathrian had two children who were captured by a nearby human tribe. The boy was killed, the girl was brutalized and eventually took her own life. Zathrian cursed the humans and they became werewolves. In hopes that Zathrian would cure the curse the werewolves attacked his tribe and infected them.

"Not that I don't see the motivation, the humans did commit atrocities all those years ago." Mirra told him. "But the humans who perpetrated the crimes are long since dead. It's similar to how all mages are assumed evil and locked into a tower for their entire life."

Alistair's Templar training kicked in automatically. "All mages are suspect..." He withered under her glare.

"All people are suspect. Why are mages the only ones who get locked up before they commit any crime?" Mirra asked.

"The potential threat is much greater..." He started, stopping when Mirra held up a hand.

Zathrian was standing before them in the ruins. "There you are..." He said.

"What are you doing here?" Mirra asked.

"He's checking to make sure we did his bidding." Morrigan said. "Isn't that correct, sorcerer?"

"Silence, witch. You will not refer to me as such." Zathrian said with more than a little malice. Alistair looked between the two, wondering if there was a longstanding hatred between the Dalish keepers and witches of the wilds. "But it is so, have you completed your task?"

"No." Mirra told him. "The Lady of the Forest would like to talk to you."

"The Lady of the Forest?" He smirked. "You do realize she is Witherfang, don't you?"

"It hardly matters." Mirra said. "You need to speak with her."

"I hardly see what purpose that will serve. We still need the heart." Zathrian said.

"You are going to talk to her." Mirra said. "One way or another."

"I don't think..." Zathrian started backing up until he noticed Shale right behind him, looking especially menacing with some fire crystals they picked up. To anyone who hadn't seen a golem before, the appearance of a huge rock man with flames coming from its arms and back would be quite frightening. "Very well, I will speak with the lady." They walked down the stairs to meet the Lady of the Forest again.

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Alistair tried to concentrate, but it was difficult. He just couldn't keep his attention on the conversation. The lady was talking to Zathrian about his children, asking him again to drop the curse. Then the lyrium in his blood shocked him awake. The lady had turned into a wolf, and all the werewolves were paralyzed. He looked around in confusion. Mirra was saying something to him.

"What?" He asked, then narrowly dodged a huge tree stamping on him. _Where in the name of the maker did that come from? We're underground..._

"Dispel the damn werewolves, you bonehead!" Morrigan yelled as she threw flames at another of the trees to the right.

"You can't dispel werewolves, they're..." He started. "Oh, you mean dispell the para..."

"Just do it!" Mirra yelled.

Alistair dispelled the paralysis from the wolves, and the battle was over soon after. He looked around at the carnage. Several of the tree things were burning to the sides of the hall. A few werewolves were dead as well. Zathrian was cowering in a corner with his staff held protectively between himself and Shale, who was being held back by Mirra. Wynne was healing Sten's arm while Zevran stood off to one side. The dog was circling Morrigan while she tried to hit him with her staff. Other than the menacing threat of Shale, Leliana was the only guard on Zathrian.

Zathrian finally agreed to break the curse when he discovered he was going to die either way. The Lady stood in front of him, and the wolves made a circle around them. Zathrian started to chant under his breath.

Alistair felt the magic build as they performed the ritual. The keeper dropped the end of his staff to the floor with a crack. Alistair's veins tingled with the huge surge of magic. Zathrian dropped to the floor and the lady disappeared. The werewolves were surrounded by a swirling mist. After a few moments it dissipated, and they were human again.

There were a few excited gasps. The humans were completely naked! Alistair's eyes went wide.

"Alistair! Wall!" Mirra commanded. He glanced over to see her pulling off her cloak and offering it to the nearest lady. "Now! You too, Zevran!" He walked to the nearest wall and studied the rock intently. After a few moments someone pulled off his cloak and walked away with it.

"You may turn around, gentlemen." Mirra told them. Alistair turned to see Sten, Shale, and Zevran turning back from the wall. All the humans were wearing their cloaks, looking embarrassed. "Search the ruins for anything they can use for clothing...even drapes would work temporarily."

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Leliana made up her mind. She would serenade Mirra. Tonight. The elf went out of her way to end the curse, even when killing the wolf and taking its heart would be much easier. And after it was all over she commanded everyone to find clothing for the scared and cold humans. Even after all the hate directed to her people by humans, she still saw the best in everyone. Even the dalish. Leliana's blood boiled when Zevran told her about the "shem-lover" comments. Mirra still treated them with respect and kindness after those unkind comments. It made Leliana warm inside.

Leliana sought a suitable song while heading to camp, and remembered one that helped during a dark time in her life. An elven woman sang it to her after her mother died. It was a beautiful song. She thought Mirra would like it.

Most unexpected was the feeling of butterflies in her stomach. Why would she be nervous? She had sung for arenas full of people, why would a performance for...one really...though ten or so would be listening, why would that make her nervous? It had been a while since she performed, perhaps she was out of practice. She used some meditation techniques while they traveled.

Mirra normally calmed her. Maybe the nervousness wasn't about the song at all. Leliana couldn't predict Mirra's reaction if...no…when she asked her to join her in her tent. Would Mirra say no simply in anticipation of Leliana's reaction to her scar? Leliana wasn't sure how to handle it. How could she convince Mirra that it didn't matter? Leliana had some vicious flogging scars of her own, though she wasn't sure how having them located on her chest would change her outlook.

"Are you alright, Leliana?" Mirra asked, startling her. Leliana guessed her facial expressions had been going through a whirlwind of emotions for the past several minutes, and Mirra had noticed from her spot walking next to her. _Idiot!_

"Yes!" She said, a little too fast. _Calm down._ "Of course. I've just been thinking over a few things."

"You looked really worried there." Mirra looked at her closely.

"I'm fine, Mirra. Nothing you need concern yourself about." Leliana told her.

"Are you sure?" Mirra asked, still scrutinizing her face.

"Yes, Mirra. Everything is fine." She wrapped her arm around the elf and gave her a squeeze.

"Isn't there a puppy somewhere that needs our assistance?" Morrigan said loudly from the other side of Mirra. Mirra smiled and shook her head.

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Alistair made up his mind. He actually made up his mind a few days before when Mirra gave him his mother's amulet. He didn't even remember telling her about the amulet, but she remembered, found the amulet, and gave it to him. No one paid him that kind of attention, well, ever. She had to have the same feelings for him.

He finished setting up his tent, and Mirra was still finishing her tent. It was time. The rose was a little worse for wear, having been carried around in his pack for weeks, but it was still pretty. Nowhere near as pretty as Mirra, but pretty enough to be given to her. Zevran tried to talk to him about something, but he brushed him off. He was on a mission. Even Wynne tried to talk to him about something. _What was with everyone? No one ever wants to talk to me. _Mirra was still crouched down attaching a rope to a stake.

"Mirra?" He started, not sure about starting a conversation with her backside.

"What is it, Alistair?" She asked, still messing with the rope.

"C-Can I t-talk to you?" He stammered.

She visibly stiffened, cursed under her breath, and stood to face him with a smile. "Sure, what can I do for you?"

"Here." Alistair handed her the rose.

"It's a rose. Why are you giving me a rose?" She asked.

Alistair's practiced speech didn't roll off his tongue so much as spew forward at high speed. "Well, it's pretty, and you're pretty, and on this trip we see so much ugly that I wanted to thank you for...being nice, and pretty. You didn't have to help the Arl and his family, but you did. You didn't have to give me my mother's amulet, but you did. And you're pretty, and nice." Alistair noticed Mirra was giving him a sad look and stopped.

"Alistair..." She started resignedly, "Thank you, but I'm sorry, I cannot accept this." She handed him back the rose. His stomach dropped. "You are a good friend, but it can't go further than that."

"But..." Alistair asked, baffled. "Why not?"

Mirra looked down. "Let's just say you're not my type."

"Because I'm a human? Is it Zevran?" He demanded. He heard a snort from behind him.

"No, it's definitely not Zevran! And it's not because you're human. It's...something else." She glanced over his shoulder at someone he couldn't see.

"I see..." Alistair said dejectedly.

"It's not anything you did." She said. "Trust me."

_Trust her?_ He did trust her. Up until about five minutes ago, anyway. Why wouldn't she tell him if it wasn't anything he did? "Ok." He said before walking back to his log by the fire, tossing the rose in the flames on the way.

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Leliana watched the interaction with both sadness and anger. It was always hard to watch someone's admission of feelings dashed. On the other hand, that was Mirra he was approaching, and her jealous self was screaming. _That's my girl, stay away! _

Mirra didn't come out and say she was interested in women, or mention her more specifically, but Leliana would forgive her that. Even in this enlightened time there was still a stigma attached. As soon as Alistair left she rushed over and helped Mirra with her tent.

"Thank you, Leliana." They tightened up the final rope.

"It's no trouble at all, Mirra." _Though I hope you don't need your tent tonight..._

"Did you hear that?" Quietly referring to the conversation with Alistair.

"Yes. You did the best you could." Leliana looked into her eyes.

"Did it bother you that I didn't mention you?" Mirra asked guiltily.

"Oh, are we an item now?" Leliana said with a smirk. Mirra immediately dropped her gaze. Leliana quickly pulled up her chin. "I'm joking, Mirra. I understand why you didn't say anything. Don't let it trouble you." Mirra gave her a smile.

"The plight of the Dalish reminded me of a song. Would you like to hear it?" Leliana asked, forcing her nervousness to the back of her mind.

Mirra eagerly nodded. "Of course!" Her enthusiasm gave Leliana a confidence boost, though her butterflies were still there. She forced herself to picture a theater full of people right behind Mirra and started her chosen song.

She didn't start quite right, but got better quickly. Her singing career ended several months ago, after all. She was happy to hit all the high notes with no trouble, and carried through to the end with no loss of breath. She came off the last note beautifully, and cast her eyes back upon Mirra... and Mirra was in rapt attention, with not a little adoration in her gaze. Leliana couldn't help but smile.

Mirra quickly walked towards her and pulled her into a fierce kiss, shocking Leliana. She quickly recovered and added her own enthusiasm. When they finally pulled apart Leliana pulled Mirra into a tight hug, smelling her hair and neck deeply, kissing her beautiful pointed ear. Even sweaty and covered in road grime, she smelled fabulous. _That's it. This girl has got to come to bed with me._ Leliana pulled back to look deeply into her eyes.

"It is going to be a cold night, Mirra." She held her eyes to Mirra's. "I can't help but think how much warmer my bedroll would be with you in it."

Mirra took on the appearance of a frightened animal. "I..." The word was barely audible.

"I promise not to look, Mirra." Leliana gave her a final embrace, released her with a kiss, then walked to her tent, swaying her hips more than normal. One last smoldering glance at Mirra, then she ducked in.

She heard a dumbfounded Alistair say "Oh." Followed by raucous laughter from Zevran. Not exactly the best send-off she would want, but at least a few things were cleared up.

She spent a few minutes spreading her bedroll wider than normal, then stripped and got in, facing the wall of the tent. She realized there was no guarantee Mirra would come, so she should settle down and sleep, but found herself listening for clues. Zevran asked Wynne if he could join her in her tent, again. Morrigan complained about Rex leaving half eaten animals in her pack, again. The Dalish and Redbridge representatives were trading barbs, again.

After an interminable amount of time steps approached her tent, her tent flap was pushed aside, and someone entered. Resisting the urge to turn was difficult, but she complied for Mirra's sake. She realized in this instance she was putting her worst side forward, since her back took the brunt of the abuse during her flogging. _So be it. Maybe Mirra would realize her scars did not matter._ She heard the sound of clothing sliding off, and eventually the covers were lifted. The cool air was bracing, but it was quickly replaced by delightful skin to skin heat.

Mirra slid her arms around Leliana and pulled close to her back, her breasts barely touching. "Leliana, you have no idea how often I dreamt of this." Mirra kissed her neck, then her shoulder. _You dream of me? _ Leliana reveled in the contact, enjoying Mirra sliding her hands over her stomach, with moments of bliss when she brushed against the bottom of her breasts. Leliana took her hands and wrapped Mirra's arms tightly around her. She stiffened when her chest met Leliana's back, obviously feeling her scars. She pulled back some. Leliana started to turn to keep her from leaving.

"No, stay still." Mirra told her. Leliana turned back the way she was, nervous now. Mirra ran her hands over her back, tracing the criss crossing scars. "Oh, Leliana..." Mirra kissed some of the more prominent scars then wrapped her arms back around. Leliana relaxed and clutched Mirra's hands to her. She felt tears trail down her shoulder.

"Now do you see why your scar doesn't matter?" Leliana said. Holding Mirra's hands in case she tried to escape.

"It's not the size, or even the location." Mirra told her so quietly it was hard to hear. "It's what it says...what it means."

"What does it say?" Leliana immediately asked.

"Not now...please." Mirra resumed stroking Leliana's body, quickly distracting her.

Leliana wasn't sure what to do. She couldn't really touch Mirra other than her hands. She enjoyed the sensation until the elf clutched a breast in each hand and started tweaking her nipples. Leliana reached over her shoulder and pulled Mirra's head so she could kiss her.

"Just enjoy, Leliana." Mirra told her, kissing her ear. "You worked to get through to me, now it's my turn."

Mirra stroked the underside of her breasts and licked her ear. Leliana squirmed a little. After a few minutes one of Mirra's hands drifted down to stroke her thigh. In a husky voice she commanded, "Open your legs, Leliana." _Oh, my._ Leliana complied.

Mirra reached over her mound and stroked her with such tenderness Leliana was astounded. The elf could drive an axe through a wall, but when touching her she was gentle and responsive, reading her reactions as easily as a book. As Mirra brought Leliana to greater heights of pleasure than she'd experienced in a long time, Leliana couldn't help but compare her to Marjorlaine. Marjorlaine could be tender if she wished, but typically was not. Even when she pulled her into the bard lifestyle at a very young age Marjorlaine made sure she received her pleasure before allowing Leliana the same.

Now she had the most beautiful elf pleasuring her with no expectation of return, and Maker help her, she truly wanted to love her back. If only Mirra didn't have a reason to keep her away. Leliana would have to convince her otherwise.

Mirra found her pleasure center and started circling leisurely. Leliana lost the ability to concentrate on anything else. With one arm she reached behind to pull Mirra's body against her. "Oh Mirra." Mirra kissed her back as she writhed against her hand in pleasure. She tried to close her legs.

"Don't you dare." Mirra demanded. Leliana forced herself to keep her legs apart. Once Mirra felt her comply, she dipped a finger in her and played with her further, rubbing her clitoris with her palm. Her other hand continued to stroke her breasts, occasionally brushing a nipple. Leliana started twitching as waves of pleasure washed over her. Mirra kissed the back of her neck and held her close through her release.

When she could no longer stand it she put her hand on Mirra's, holding her still. Mirra pulled her hand out from between her legs and licked her fingers. "Tasty." She whispered into her ear before draping her arm back around Leliana. Leliana let her legs close. She pulled Mirra's arms tight around her and exclaimed "Maker! Mirra, that was wonderful! May I return the favor?"

"Not tonight, Leliana. Sleep." Mirra kissed her neck.

"Will you stay?" Leliana asked.

"Of course. You didn't tell me my story yet." Leliana froze.

"Um..." She started, momentarily at a loss for words. Mirra chuckled.

"I'm kidding Leliana. You already gave me something to dream about." Mirra snuggled close and relaxed against her back. Leliana found herself exhausted from the day traveling and her playtime with Mirra. She quickly drifted off with a smile on her face.

Author's note: Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed. And I know Shale is female, but she doesn't find out until the Anvil of the Void.


	8. Chapter 8

Marked with Shame

Chapter 8

Bioware owns rights to all characters.

Leliana woke to find herself alone, which wasn't surprising, but she was hoping otherwise. She felt her bedroll and found it still warm. Mirra hadn't been gone long. She dressed quickly and headed out to find camp covered in a thin dusting of snow. It was definitely winter now, and they were headed to the coldest part of Fereldan, the Frostback mountains.

Everyone but Morrigan was in front of the fire. Mirra had her back to her. Leliana crept up and wrapped her arms around her lover. Mirra tilted her head back for a kiss.

"Good morning." Mirra said, with a sultry tone. "Morrigan roasted us a rabbit. I saved you some." She handed her a plate.

"Morrigan roasted a rabbit, or _roasted _a rabbit?" Leliana asked, though it looked good no matter how it was cooked.

"I didn't ask, though the forest isn't on fire, so I doubt she used a fireball." Mirra said with a grin.

Leliana started to eat. "We should reach Orzammar later today." Mirra told her, leaning against her arm. Leliana couldn't help but see Alistair's baffled expression out the corner of her eyes. _At least there shouldn't be any more drama out of that court._

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Morrigan cleared her throat next to Mirra. _Here it comes. _Mirra was sick of everyone having something to ask about her relationship with Leliana. Wynne had a long speech about her duty to the Grey Wardens and the possible conflicts that might arise. Alistair had an apology he stumbled through. Zevran wanted juicy details. It was irritating to say the least.

"So, Mirra." Morrigan paused as if searching for the right words. "Why didn't you drag her off to your tent weeks ago? She was obviously interested."

Mirra didn't expect this kind of question. She paused to think. They were hiking up the trail to Orzammar, and the road was snow covered and slick. Leliana was at the head of the group, searching for the best path. No one else was close enough to listen to their conversation. "I guess it didn't feel right. Someone can be interested and not quite ready to sleep with you."

"Really?" Morrigan said. "My experience has been the exact opposite. Every single man I have approached to bed has been quite agreeable, even if they barely knew me."

"Yes," Mirra said with a smirk. "That's because you are beautiful, and most men are sluts. Women are typically a harder to bed."

"I see. My experience is not normal." Morrigan said. "Did she say anything about your scars?"

"She didn't see them. She kindly faced away from me." Mirra answered.

"Faced away from you? 'Tis hard to imagine what you could do in that position." Morrigan said.

The conversation had quickly shifted into more intimate details than Mirra expected, but since it was more likely to make Morrigan uncomfortable than her, she plunged in. "Well, I snuggled up to her back, wrapped my arms around her, then dipped a hand between her legs..."

"Tis not necessary to regale me with all the grizzly details, Mirra." Morrigan said. Mirra giggled.

They walked in silence for several minutes.

"Does this mean you will refrain from all the touching, now that you have it out of your system?" Morrigan asked.

"Oh, no…" Mirra said with a grin. "It might get even more unbearable for you." Morrigan groaned.

After several more minutes Morrigan spoke up. "So, what are the chances we reach the Dwarven city and they say 'We will honor your treaty, no questions asked! Here are your troops!'?"

"Considering our record so far? Not good." Mirra shook her head.

"Maybe we'll get lucky and 'twill be an easy task." Morrigan said.

"Dwarf princess Olga has lost her cat. Please find it for her." Mirra said with a grin. Morrigan shocked her with a snicker.

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"So, to recap..." Mirra said with exasperation in her voice, "our choices to support for King of Orzammar include an asshole who wants to reform the horrible caste system, and a good man who wants to keep things the way they are." She sighed heavily. "It can't ever be easy, can it?"

Prince Behlen, a jerk who conspired to kill one sibling and exile the other, wanted them to plant false evidence to get more support from the nobles. His opponent, Lord Harrowmont, a good man, was stuck in the ancient ways.

"Any thoughts?" Mirra asked her group. Most did not have any opinion.

"I'd go with the good man. Even the prince's father didn't want him to be king." Alistair said.

"It is hard to support an evil ruler, but the caste structure here is horrific." Leliana told her.

"Surprisingly, I agree with Leliana." Morrigan added. "A ruthless leader is an advantage when major change is needed."

Mirra looked between all of them. "Asshole it is. I feel sorry for anyone on his bad side, but the caste system has to change. Let's go plant some evidence."

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Zevran slashed both his weapons across a criminal's back, who crumpled. The dwarf was attacking Leliana, something Mirra told him was not to happen, ever. He took a quick glance to make sure his charges; Leliana, Morrigan and Wynne, were all being left alone, then charged to Mirra's side to assist her.

Prince Bhelen 'the asshole' gave them the task of destroying the dwarf criminal carta to further his standing in the dwarven assembly. Fortunately, the dwarven carta was mostly unskilled. Unfortunately, due to the dwarven caste system, there were hundreds of them. Zevran threw a mark on Mirra's target before leaping behind her to intercept a flanking attack. A quick hamstring and slice to the neck, and the carta member went down. He turned to admire Mirra as she cut a dwarf completely in half. It was a shame she had no interest in men. He jogged beside her as they headed to an archer. Something caught his eye on the way.

"Mirra! Stop!" He called out. She planted and looked to him. "Trap." H rolled to the side and pulled the catch pin and released the almost invisible cable. Mirra nodded at him before running to engage the archer. Zevran looked to the opposite side of the room, and saw a trap of the same kind in a mirrored location. _Amateurs._ There were two archers hiding behind the trap. He picked up a barrel and threw it through the cable, setting it off. The resulting explosion was very satisfying.

"Zevran!" Leliana called to him. A glance revealed a rogue crouching behind Morrigan. A quick knife throw revealed this to be one of the few skilled carta members when he dodged the knife. Zevran quickly shifted behind him, but the rogue recognized him as a threat and faced him. A few parries and thrusts showed Zevran this was a very skilled opponent, one of the few. Not that it mattered much. Morrigan froze him into a solid chunk and Zevran smashed him. He looked around to see the rest of the carta members dead.

"Larger group, Zevran. What do you think?" Mirra asked. She considered him their expert on organized crime, deserved or not.

"Larger group. More skilled members. More traps." He pondered. "I'd say we are close to the head of the organization."

"I concur." Leliana added.

"Zevran, switch to trap duty, with offensive damage as secondary. Rex and Alistair will change to guarding the mages and Leliana. Me, Sten, and Shale will stick to offense. Everyone understand?" Mirra announced. Everyone nodded. Zevran decided to keep an eye on the ladies while on trap duty. He didn't have much faith in Alistair or Rex when it came to spotting invisible enemies.

Mirra opened the final door to see the leader and a large entourage. Zevran located several traps on the way through the door. _Amateurs._ _More traps all laid out in an obvious pattern._

"Easy job, Zev?" Leliana whispered behind him.

"Amateurs." He told her.

"Help Mirra once you're done."

"As you wish, Leliana. I should have no trouble keeping track of her sexy posterior." Though he was expecting a smack from Leliana, the blow to his head came from Morrigan's staff.

The head of the carta, a good looking dwarf lady by the name of Jarvia, faced them and rattled on about her importance, per criminal mastermind doctrine. Zevran had heard similar diatribes from all criminal leaders. Then she said something baffling. "Keep the pretty one alive, I have plans for her." _Pretty one? There are at least three pretty ones here, and that's if you aren't including me!_

Zevran stealthed immediately, hugging the wall to the right. The room had a central area surrounded by four pillars, which was enclosed on the back side. There were stairs to each side of the center leading to a raised platform behind. Several archers were on each side of the platform. The obvious traps were surrounding the central area, and in front of each set of stairs.

Most of the carta's group ran straight at Mirra. _Bad idea._ She pulled one of those masterful sweeps with her axe and took out several dwarves with ease.

Zevran got to the first tripwire and disengaged the lead. Mirra ran over to attack an archer up the stairs. The Jarvia bitch followed her. Zevran tossed some dust in her face to give Mirra some time with the archer. Then he shifted to the central area. _Why put so many traps here? _It didn't make sense. He disconnected the catch for the first wire, then moved to the next. The mages were still unmolested, so Zevran continued with the traps. The next two were quick.

Just as he reached for the contact on the last cable, the archer ran down the stairs behind it and set off the trap. The barrel of explosives went off right next to him, sending Zevran flying. He shook his head to clear his vision. The pain was intense. It felt like all his ribs were cracked. He couldn't hear anything either. _Stupid archer... _A dwarf appeared above him and smacked a mace into his already hurt ribs. More pain lanced through him. He felt the warmth as a healing spell started to work on his midsection. _Too little, too late, my elder Mage. _Then, before the mace swung down a second time, a huge axe swung across his vision, slicing the surprised dwarf in two.

Zevran looked up to see Mirra reach down and grab his arm, lifting him up. The pain kept him limp. She was trying to say something to him, but he still couldn't hear. It sounded like some of the windstorms he remembered from the coast of Antiva. Alistair appeared on his other side and grabbed his other arm. Mirra released him and parried a blow from Jarvia. _You helped me out while under attack?! By the head of the carta? _Alistair dragged him to a corner, away from the fighting. _Oh, Mirra. If only you weren't already taken. _Alistair was trying to say something, but he still couldn't hear. He shook his head in incomprehension.

It looked like just a few carta members left, including Jarvia, who was just fast enough to avoid Mirra's mighty axe. Zevran pointed to Alistair, then pointed to Mirra. Alistair got the hint. He ran over and smacked Jarvia with his shield, dazing her. Mirra lifted her axe over her head and came down with a vicious blow, slicing the dwarf with a huge diagonal slash. Jarvia crumpled. The remaining carta members didn't last long after that. Zevran wiped his ear and came back with blood on his hand. He leaned against the wall.

Mirra waved Wynne towards Zevran. She approached and looked him over. She tried to say something, but he obviously couldn't hear. Leliana approached and wiped his ears off with a cloth. Wynne said some incantations and laid her hands on his ears. The warmth entered his head, then with a pop, he could hear. Joy overtook him and he leaned forward and gave Wynne a kiss on the lips before she backed away.

She blushed instantly with a shocked look on her face. "Thank you, Wynne." He told her with a smile. Everyone else had large grins on their face.

"Nice to see you back to your amorous self, Zevran." Mirra told him. "Are you well enough to proceed?"

"As you say, fearless leader." He told her with a smile.

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"Son of a bitch!" Mirra cursed. "Wipe out the entire criminal carta, and is that enough? Nooooooo! We've got to search out a mythical person only slightly more likely to exist than the Urn of Sacred Ashes!"

"Which we found." Leliana added with a smile. Leliana was excited about the prospect of searching for a dwarven legend. _One more epic adventure with her favorite person._ Leliana thought Mirra was most likely more upset about being underground for too long, rather than the prospect of another quest. Even city elves don't handle the deep roads very well.

"I know..." Mirra sighed. "Alright. Here..." Mirra gave each of them some money. "Get yourself something to eat, we aren't likely to get decent food down in the deep roads. I've also given you enough for a room, we are going to be camping in the cold, miserable caves for a while. See you tomorrow morning..." She looked up to the rock ceiling. "Not that you can tell that it's evening." She stalked off with Rex close behind. Leliana hurried to keep up.

"Mirra?" Leliana said.

"Oh, yes, Leliana?" Mirra seemed surprised someone followed her.

"Here, I won't need the money."

"Oh, why not?" Mirra asked.

"I'm staying with you."

"Oh...Leliana. I'm in a foul mood. I don't think I'd be very good company."

"I know." Leliana took Mirra's hand and looped her arm through hers. "But we're together now, that means when you're in a good mood, and bad."

"Are you sure?" Mirra asked, though obviously not unhappy with the prospect.

"Yes, when you are unhappy, it's my job to make you better. Now, come on." Leliana dragged her towards the inn.

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Mirra was waiting, not quite patiently. She was sitting on the bed in a shirt and her underthings, fidgeting. Leliana told her to get ready for a bath, and to wait in the room. She couldn't understand what was taking so long. _Fill the tub with hot water, what more was required?_ She was nervous, and she shouldn't be. This was Leliana, her lover. Possibly her love? Leliana's touch sent shivers down her spine. Her kiss sent Mirra's heart soaring. It was feeling more and more like love.

She pondered briefly an introduction to her father, then wiped the thought from her mind. She didn't know if he was alive, and her current mission was looking more and more like something she wouldn't walk away from.

Thoughts of her father quickly pulled her to the edge of tears. The only reason she was here at all was some asshole who raped her cousin. A cousin she might never see again. In fact, her entire family might be gone forever. She propped her elbows on her knees and stared at the wall, trying not to cry.

If it wasn't for her new friends, she would be miserable.

Leliana opened the door wearing a towel. She gave Mirra a smoldering look. Mirra's eyes went wide. The towel was just barely long enough to reach from her nipples to just at her crotch.

"Mirra? What's wrong?" She'd seen her wet eyes. She rushed over and took both her hands in hers.

"Sorry, Leliana." She wrapped her arms around her beautiful bard. "It's not you, I swear. I reminded myself of my family, who might not be alive any more."

"I understand, Mirra." Leliana responded. "I'm here if you need to talk."

Mirra couldn't help but look down. The towel had pulled down, leaving Leliana's breasts completely uncovered.

"I'd say it's time for your bath." Leliana said with a mischievous smirk. She pulled Mirra up and drew her towards the bathroom.

Leliana had snuffed the torches, leaving only a few candles to light the room from the corners. Though Mirra couldn't see much upon entering the room, the smell was fabulous. Somehow Leliana mixed both forest and floral scents. Leliana guided her to the stairs of the basin and stood behind her. The room was filled with steam. She started to lift Mirra's shirt.

"Leliana?" Mirra asked her unspoken question with her hands on her shirt.

"I promised I wasn't going to look, Mirra." Leliana told her with a kiss to her neck. "I won't look until you let me." Mirra was finally able to see well enough to notice the bath. It was huge, and filled with steaming bubbles. She lifted her arms. Leliana pulled her shirt over her head, following it with her bra. She pulled off her underwear with kisses down her back. Mirra stepped out of them and up the stairs to the bath. She glanced back to see Leliana whip off her towel. Her eyes grew large once again.

"You are so beautiful, Leliana." Mirra told her, still not sure how she would share a bath without showing her scars.

"As are you, my darling Mirra." Leliana started up the stairs towards her. Mirra stepped the rest of the way into the bath. The water was very warm, and felt very good on her tired muscles. She dipped in to wet herself. Mirra faced the wall as Leliana did something behind her. In a few moments she felt warm wetness as Leliana rubbed a soapy sponge over her back. She'd never felt a sponge before. It was exquisite. In the Alienage they had to use worn out clothing.

Happiness washed over her as Leliana washed the grime off. It was hard to imagine someone caring about you enough to bathe you. Leliana took one of her arms and scrubbed it while propping Mirra's hand against her thigh. Mirra couldn't resist the urge to slide her hand over Leliana's thigh. She was surprised at Leliana's encouraging giggle.

"Explore all you want, love." She kissed her ear. Leliana switched to the other arm, again placing Mirra's hand on her thigh. Mirra used her soapy hand to dip between her thighs briefly, eliciting a comfortable sigh from Leliana. She pulled away and kneeled to scrub her legs clean, paying an especially long time between her thighs without the sponge.

"I'm going to fall down if you keep that up, my bard." Mirra told her while breathing hard.

"Very well, we'll come back to that." Leliana said huskily. She rose and held herself against Mirra's back, scrubbing her stomach and chest from behind, dipping between her legs from time to time, keeping her simmering with desire. She pulled away briefly, coming back to pour something on her hair.

"What are you doing?" Mirra asked.

"Washing your hair, of course." Leliana answered.

"I've never washed my hair before, at least, not with anything liquid." Mirra told her. In the Alienage they were lucky to have soap at all.

"Well, you'll like this." Leliana started massaging the pleasant smelling stuff into her hair. Having someone massage her scalp in this manner was wonderful. Mirra quickly found herself unable to speak. Leliana did a very thorough job, then told her to rinse.

When Mirra came back up, she found Leliana's back to her. "Will you do me, now?" She held the sponge behind her.

"My pleasure." Mirra took the sponge and repeated the process on her. Again unable to resist scrubbing extra long between her legs. Leliana just about lost her balance a couple times before Mirra stopped.

"Where's that hair stuff?" Mirra asked.

"Shampoo." Leliana pointed to the side of the basin before undoing her small braid. Mirra poured some on her head and worked up a lather. Leliana could tell she was having trouble because of their height difference, so she kneeled down in the bath.

"Thank you." Mirra kissed her cheek before continuing her ministrations. After a time she had Leliana rinse. When Leliana rose from the bubbles Mirra hugged her tight from behind, kissing the back of her neck.

"That was wonderful, Leliana. Thank you."

"The pleasure was all mine, Mirra." Leliana pulled her arms tight around her. Mirra sat down against the side, pulling Leliana between her legs.

Mirra slid her hand down Leliana's stomach and began stroking between her legs. Leliana was already simmering with desire, so it took mere seconds before she was shuddering. Mirra held her tight through her orgasm.

"I love that." Mirra told her, still holding her tight.

"You love that?! I love it when you do that!" Leliana breathlessly told her. She pulled her arms tight around her again.

"Leliana, can I ask you a question?" Mirra was serious all the sudden.

"Of course." Leliana answered.

"How come you're all smooth...down there? Is that a human thing?" Mirra lightly stroked the perfectly smooth area between Leliana's legs.

"Oh! No. That's not a human thing. I use a razor." She paused for a few seconds. "Do you like it?"

"Oh yes! Definitely." Mirra was quiet for a minute, driving Leliana crazy with her slow strokes. "Could I do that? Do you think?"

"Would you like me to do it for you?" Leliana offered.

"Could you? Would you? I mean..." Mirra started.

"Of course. Grab a towel and cover your...top. Then lay on the side of the basin." Leliana unabashedly hopped out of the tub and started pulling things out of her bag. Mirra couldn't help but stare at her beautiful backside. When Leliana stood back up Mirra realized she hadn't done anything she asked. She lunged for a towel and sat down on the edge of the tub, draping the towel over her chest.

"Now then..." Leliana stepped back into the tub, dipping a brush into the water. Mirra felt a rush of heat in her middle at the sight. "Spread your legs wide, dearest. The wider the better..."

Mirra did her best to comply, watching her slowly mix up a bubbly froth in a cup she held. Leliana somehow made the simple task of moving a brush around inside a cup erotic. Mirra didn't know if being turned on would make this task more difficult, but Leliana didn't say anything, just gave her that sexy smirk of hers. _Yep, I'm in love._

Leliana slid through the water towards her love, relishing the sight of her beautiful body opened wide. _You are a sight to see, my darling elf._ She continued to mix her foamy cream, looking into Mirra's eyes to see raw desire, along with a little trepidation. She was going to have a very sharp implement on a very tender location, after all.

"I will not hurt you, Mirra." She gave her a wide smile, still stirring her foam. The foam spilled over the side and Leliana knelt before Mirra. She slathered the creamy mixture all over Mirra's dark hair. Enjoying the involuntary jerk Mirra gave at the contact with her sensitive skin. She procured the special soap blend in Denerim at great expense. It came from Orlais and was one of the few items from her home country she couldn't do without. They just didn't have the right mixture here in Ferelden.

She put down the cup and grabbed her razor and leather. She looked straight into Mirra's eyes as she sharpened the blade, quickly running the blade up and down the leather. It was a show-off thing to do, but Leliana was an entertainer at heart and couldn't resist. Mirra was grinning wide at this point. Leliana put her leather to the side, and bent down to her work.

Mirra's hair was so fine the razor had no trouble at all. Leliana was paranoid about cutting her, so she took much longer than normal. By the time she pulled up Mirra's hood to trim the few small hairs there, Mirra was dripping with excitement. Leliana looked up at her to see her tilting her head back in ecstasy. Leliana took a quick lick with her tongue, and smiled when Mirra popped her head up to look at her with half closed eyes. Leliana splashed her off with some bath water, then toweled her dry.

"See what you think." Leliana told her.

Mirra bent up and looked down at herself. She stroked herself, giving a shiver of delight. "Oh my."

Leliana smiled again. "Now, Mirra. Be a good girl and lean back." Mirra did as she was told, and Leliana bent to lick her again. First a few teasing licks to her clit, then longer slow strokes across her lips. She stroked her legs and sucked on her clit, enjoying the tremor that ran through her lover's body. She dipped her tongue deep and savored the taste. She returned her attention to Mirra's clit, inserting a finger at the same time. Mirra's sharp intake of breath let her know she was on the right track.

Leliana looked up to see Mirra had moved the towel slightly while caressing her breast. Her head was tilted back in ecstasy. She could clearly see an E branded on her upper chest. _How could anyone be so cruel!_ She forced down the anger that flared. She must be here for Mirra now, and love her no matter what some asshole had burned into her flesh.

She continued to tease Mirra's clit while curling her finger further in and up, searching for the spot of extreme pleasure hidden there. She touched it briefly and set off a frenzy. Mirra started twitching uncontrollably. The towel fell off.

It took great willpower, but Leliana continued to pleasure her lover despite the wrath that threatened to consume her. _WHORE! Who would burn that into Mirra? I will tear them apart!_ Tears of sympathy formed in the corners of her eyes. The pain must have been intense. She kept her hand stroking and reached around Mirra's waist to pull her in for a kiss. She pulled her down into the now lukewarm water, Mirra straddling her hips. Mirra was still riding the throws of her orgasm while Leliana kissed all over her face. Mirra breathed hard as her orgasm slowed down.

Mirra noticed the tears as she was coming down from her high. Leliana wrapped both her arms around her and held her close.

"Leliana. What's wrong?" Then she looked down at her chest, immediately trying to get away. Leliana held her tight.

"No, Mirra. You are not closing me out again." Leliana said softly, but firmly. "I love you."

Mirra's eyes filled with tears. She covered her face. "I didn't want you to see!" She could get away if she wanted, she was much stronger than Leliana, but the will seeped out of her.

"Mirra, I love you. Nothing burned into you will change that. Nothing." Leliana gently pulled her hands away from her face. She kissed away her tears tenderly. Mirra looked at her with a combination of fear and love. Leliana took the back of her head and kissed her fiercely.

"Now, my love, would you like to tell me the story?" Leliana asked.

"I...I don't know..." Mirra looked overwhelmed.

"Nothing you tell me could make me love you less." Leliana told her, still holding her tight against her.

"It's not a pleasant story." Mirra said, wrapping her arms tightly around Leliana and propping her head on her shoulder.

"Is he dead?" Leliana asked.

"Yes." Mirra told her.

"Is it how you came to be a Grey Warden?" Leliana asked.

"Yes." Mirra answered.

"That's enough questions for today. Let's get you dry, and go to bed. You need your rest for the deep roads tomorrow." They both stood and exited the basin. Leliana grabbed a towel and dried Mirra, kissing her frequently, then dried herself. Mirra was still in shocked silence.

Back in the bedroom Leliana pulled back the covers and put Mirra into bed. She put out the torches and crawled in next to her.

Mirra still couldn't believe it. Leliana had seen all her flaws, all the reasons she should find another worthy of her beauty, and not only was she still with her...she told her she loved her. Mirra didn't think it was possible. Alienage elves don't get the girl of their dreams, especially the scarred ones. It didn't happen.

Leliana slid into bed next to her, and Mirra wrapped herself around her completely, burying her face in her hair. Leliana slid her arm around her, holding her close. Tears of joy dripped from her eyes, falling to Leliana's shoulder.

"Are you ok, Mirra?"

Mirra kissed her cheek, then her neck, resting her head on Leliana's shoulder. "More than ever. Thank you, Leliana. I love you too."


	9. Chapter 9

Marked with Shame

Chapter 9

Bioware owns rights to all characters.

_The Deep Roads suck. _Alistair thought to himself. _They're dirty, full of crap, and it's entirely likely that the ceiling will collapse and kill all of us._ Alistair kicked at a rock, sending it bouncing away. They were walking a boring stretch of the deep roads. Caradin's Cross was behind them, and they were heading to the Ortan Thaig.

A laugh drew his attention. Alistair looked over to see Leliana and Mirra enjoying each other's company. _How could I have been so stupid?_ Their affection for each other was completely obvious to everyone but him. He kicked another rock off to the side.

"What's got yer panties in a twist?" _Ah yes, the new annoyance._

"Nothing." He told the dwarf.

Before they entered the deep roads a red bearded dwarf who reeked of alcohol demanded to go with them, claiming only he would be able to find what they were looking for; the last living Paragon. A Paragon is the dwarven equivalent of a champion or hero; someone who did something great or created something fantastic for the dwarven community. The only living Paragon was his wife, Branka, so he should know something about her whereabouts. The unspoken question being 'Why didn't you go with her?' Mirra allowed him to come along, so here he was.

"Sure...Nothing." The dwarf told him with a smirk. "Yer telling me those two sexy things aren't getting you hot 'n bothered?" He elbowed Alistair in the side, or more accurately, the thigh.

"No, I'm not 'hot and bothered.'" Alistair glared at the dwarf. He was angry at himself. Hot and bothered did not cross his mind.

"Sheesh. Are ye even watching?" The crude dwarf asked, glancing over at the girls while taking a drink from a flask.

"It gives me a headache if I watch too much." Alistair told him.

"Gives ye a headache? Gives me a leg ache, if you know what I mean." The dwarf chuckled.

"No, if I watch too long Morrigan hits me." Alistair took a glance over his shoulder at the mage, who was smiling, ever so slightly.

"Really..." The dwarf glanced back to look at the now stoic witch. "She's a looker. Does she like ye?" Zevran snickered from behind them.

"Maker, no. She hates me." Alistair told him, shaking his head.

"Then why does she care who ye look at?" The dwarf asked. Alistair tried to remember his name. _Ogrin? Oden_?

"Mirra's her friend." That was enough. _Her only friend._

"She don't think Mirra needs a good man? Or she don't think yer a good man?" Alistair Gritted his teeth. Zevran was definitely chuckling at this point.

"Neither. Mirra seems quite happy with Leliana." Alistair sped up to get away from the dwarf.

"No kidding?" The dwarf rushed to catch up. He spoke in a conspiratorial tone. "They prefer the sheath to the sword?" Zevran continued to snicker behind them.

"Please stop talking about them. Morrigan might change you into a toad." Alistair face was burning at this point.

"She wouldn't do that to ole Oghren, would she?" He glanced back to the apostate.

"She will if you make her angry. Now leave me alone." Alistair begged. Oghren wandered off. Zevran couldn't seem to stop chuckling.

"Alistair!" Mirra gave a sharp yell.

"What?!" _What did I say? _He looked at her. She was pulling that massive axe off her back. Then he felt it. _Darkspawn! _Talking to the dwarf distracted him.

"Everyone wake up!" Mirra yelled. Everyone pulled their weapons. The spawn rushed out of a side passage. Dozens of them. Alistair rushed to Morrigan and Wynne, taunting anything that approached them. He took out a genlock rogue that got close, then looked out over their unusual group. Mirra had shaped them into a fine tuned team where each person had a specific task and they knew it. Alistair and Zevran looked out for the mages and Leliana. Mirra and Shale took out the mages and archers. Sten and now Oghren took out anyone tough enough to take a few hits. The mages took out underlings. Leliana had an awesome first strike shot that worked great with mages. Everyone knew their place, and it made even large groups like this one a breeze. As he watched the darkspawn group was decimated. It was impressive. Mirra was more of a leader than he could have imagined...more than Duncan could have imagined.

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Wynne watched Mirra and Leliana with some concern. They were camped somewhere in the Ortan Thaig, and everyone was settling down for the night. She truly hoped it wouldn't come down to duty or Leliana, because Mirra was obviously smitten. She knew better than to mention it to Mirra. Their last conversation had not gone well. Maybe she should discuss it with Leliana.

"Leave them alone, school mistress." Wynne turned to see Morrigan standing next to her.

"It is not your concern, apostate."

"'Tis not about you. I wouldn't want your death to weigh upon her mind."

"My death? I wouldn't think advice would make her kill me." Wynne told her.

"'Twould not. Should you convince Leliana to break it off, however..."

"I see." _Astute of you, witch._

"I will happily drain your mana for her." Morrigan said.

"That does not surprise me." Wynne watched Morrigan return to her fire and take a seat. She hoped even more fervently that it didn't come down to duty or love.

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"Wynne! Oghren!" Mirra called out from the edge of camp. She and Leliana were standing next to a narrow passage.

Wynne approached to find Mirra and Oghren having a discussion.

"They say ye can only survive down here if you eat darkspawn." Oghren told Mirra.

"Which would seriously fuck you up in the long run." Mirra turned to Wynne. "We saw a dwarf run into this passage. Oghren tells us that there hasn't been an expedition down here in months. The dwarf might be insane by now, and he might need healing." Wynne nodded.

The four of them walked through the passage and found the dwarf. He was crouched behind some barriers.

"Hello. Who are you?" Mirra asked, putting her axe away.

"Stay away! You can't have my shinies!" The dwarf yelled back.

"I won't take your 'shinies', I promise." Mirra told him with a smile.

"Pretty lady won't take shiny?" The dwarf didn't walk so much as crawl from behind the barrier. He was hunched over and had an odd twitch in his neck. His joints were twisted at weird angles. Leliana took a sharp breath.

Mirra called Wynne over and whispered. "Darkspawn taint, so healing won't help?"

"Correct, Mirra." Wynne told her. _Sooner or later he will become one of them._ Mirra nodded.

"Might be better to put him out of his misery, Warden. More...whats-it...humane." Oghren told her.

"Possibly, but I won't unless he asks me to." She turned back to the twisted dwarf. "I won't take anything from you." Mirra told him. "Do you have a name?"

"Ruck, pretty lady." Leliana took another sharp intake of breath, then whispered in Mirra's ear. Mirra nodded.

"Your mother, Filda, is looking for you." Mirra told him.

"No, no, no, no, no, no! No mother, no warm, no, no, no! Ruck have no mother. Ruck deserve no mother!" Ruck was twitching badly.

"She misses you terribly, Ruck." Leliana said sadly.

"No, no, no, no! She not know what Ruck did. Ruck bad. Ruck no mother."

"Would you...prefer she think you're dead?" Mirra asked. Wynne wasn't sure what to think. Ruck had done something bad, had been kicked out of the expedition and was now barely human. It might be better for the mother to assume he were dead.

"Y-yes. Mother not know. Ruck bad. Dead better. No Ruck."

"Very well, Ruck. I will tell her you died." Mirra paused. "Be good, Ruck." They all left.

Back in camp, Mirra was subdued. Not the joyful creature Wynne saw earlier. Something about the warped dwarf disturbed her greatly.

"I've got first watch." Mirra called out. "Sten and Shale on second. Alistair and Zevran on third." Wynne started to feel bad about her lecture earlier in the day. There was plenty of evidence about the darkspawn threat for Mirra to see. It didn't bother her when Leliana joined Mirra and Rex on watch.

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"Seventh day, she grew as into her mouth they spew. Eighth day, we hate it as she is violated." A haunting voice was echoing through the tunnel. _What the hell? _ Mirra hacked her way through another group of darkspawn, getting annoyed at the ominous voice echoing through the caverns. _As if these nasty darkspawn weren't bad enough. Now we've got this creepy dwarf freaking everyone out with haunting depictions about what happened here. Even if there is some huge, creepy darkspawn up ahead, this isn't helping us._

The area they were in was called the Dead Trenches. It was red everywhere, either from the color of the rock or from rust on ancient metal. The darkspawn here were tougher than those found on the surface, and the mages had some very unpleasant spells. Mirra had just experienced one such spell a few minutes ago. Morrigan let her know it was called Crushing Prison, a favorite spell she used against other mages. The spell paralyzed her, and pain wracked her body for what seemed like an eternity. She wouldn't have made it if Shale hadn't pummeled the Mage. When she reached the surface she was going to look into more spell resistance.

"Broodmother!" The word shocked her into paying attention. _Broodmother? What?_ Then she saw it. If this used to be a dwarf, some serious changes had occurred. The thing was huge, pink, ugly, and fat. Not to mention, it had tentacles.

"Whoa." Alistair said.

The thing didn't seem to have legs any more, but it did have huge arms and several sets of breasts. It was taller than Sten, twice as tall as Mirra. There were four tentacles sprouting from the ground around the thing. It bellowed with rage at the sight of them.

They were still shocked into immobility until several tentacles sprouted from the ground and started grabbing them. Sten, Shale, and Oghren ran up and attacked the creature directly. Mirra decided to hang back and help Zevran and Alistair with the tentacles. She was glad she did soon after. The beast picked up Oghren and vomited a huge stream of nasty orange stuff into his face.

"Maker!" Alistair exclaimed.

"Stay away from the arms!" Mirra called out. Sten backed away quickly. Shale ignored the warning until the beast dropped a very limp Oghren to the ground. "Protect Leliana, Morrigan, and Wynne! They are our damage!" Mirra ran up to Oghren and dragged him back to Wynne. He was covered in orange slime and smelled vile. Her hand came away covered in goop.

"Ugg." She said, trying to fling the crap off her hand unsuccessfully.

"Mirra!" Leliana called, tilting her head towards Morrigan. The tentacles were almost chopped to shreds, but now a batch of darkspawn were joining the fray. Morrigan was surrounded by four spawn. Mirra ignored the goop on her hand and took off towards her, chopping the last tentacle on the way. As Mirra approached Morrigan blasted all her attackers to the ground. Mirra slit the throat of one and knocked over another as it got to its feet. Morrigan was trying to hold the other two back with her staff. Mirra whacked one with her axe handle before leaping to engage the last one. Sufficiently distracted, the darkspawn refocused on Mirra. Free of her attackers, Morrigan returned to freezing the huge beast.

Mirra sliced through the last hurlock and looked back at the Broodmother. Morrigan had frozen one side of it. Mirra checked Leliana and Wynne to see Zevran on guard. She started towards the mountain of flesh. Before she got to striking distance several new tentacles burst from the ground, one right at her feet.

She was grabbed around the ankle and lifted into the air, barely maintaining the grip on her axe. The tentacle smacked her into the ceiling, high above them. Dazed, she swung her axe through the tentacle, not thinking about how far she was above the ground. The fall seemed to take a while.

The impact knocked the wind out of her. Still dazed, she looked up to see several hurlocks standing over her. Since her axe was between one of their legs, she yanked it flat side up, smacking the hurlock over her into one of the others. Trying to get up she was hit by an axe, which knocked her back to the ground. She looked up to see the hurlock swinging the axe down for another blow, but it stopped in mid-air. She noticed the tell-tale feathers of an arrow poking from its eye. _Andraste, she's good. _She hopped up and looked around.

The last few darkspawn were being crushed by Shale. The tentacles were lying limp across the ground. The Broodmother was almost completely frozen. Only her head was still mobile. She was currently spewing a vomit fountain.

"Sten?" He looked at Mirra, who nodded her head towards the Broodmother. He nodded. They both took off running and hit her at the same instant. Her frozen exterior shattered into a pile of frosty black goo. There was a twisted skeleton inside, but the head was still shrieking. Mirra took a quick swing and chopped it off.

She looked around to see Wynne looking closely at Oghren. "Mirra, come here." the Mage said.

Mirra walked over. They were rinsing off Oghren's face.

"Let me see your hand." Wynne held out her own hand.

Mirra held it up, then exclaimed. "What the hell?" Her hand was still covered with slime, and looked like most of the skin had been eaten away. Leliana let out a shriek and rushed over. She tried to fling the stuff off again.

"Stop that!" Wynne said grabbing her wrist. She poured water on her hand, and washed away the slime. The pain instantly hit. Her entire hand was an open wound.

"Maker, that hurts!" Mirra's hand was shaking with the pain.

"Something in the slime kills the pain." Wynne told her. Leliana held her other hand tightly. "Something else in the slime eats away at flesh. I've heard of animals and insects that use the same technique to digest food." Wynne put her hands over Mirra's hand and poured healing energy in. The skin re-knit.

"How is Oghren?" Mirra asked, flexing her hand. It was still quite tender.

"Luckily he was pretty well covered by his beard, and his eyes were closed." She told Mirra. "He'll have some scarring on his face and the seams of his armor, but nothing else."

"He, he." Oghren chuckled. "Chicks dig scars."

"We should stay here tonight to allow you both to heal." Wynne told them.

"Can we leave this room?" Mirra asked, "the slime is all over the floor."

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_Bitch._ Mirra did not like Oghren's wife Branka at all. She might be a paragon, but she was crazy. It takes skewed priorities to sacrificing her entire house to reach this 'Anvil of the Void'. Branka allowed members of her house to be transformed into beasts, who would then create more darkspawn. Her intention was for the darkspawn to clear some traps, which was insane. Darkspawn did not have enough cognitive reasoning to use anything more complicated than a door.

Unfortunately Branka was behind some huge barrier, so Mirra couldn't smack her to wake her up. She also slammed the door behind them, so they couldn't escape either. They must break through traps left by some ancient Paragon called Caradin to find the Anvil of the Void, or be stuck here until they die of starvation. Mirra growled to herself.

"Oghren, I'm starting to dislike your wife greatly." Mirra said while beating on a genlock.

"She was always a little nuts, warden. She did marry me, after all." Oghren agreed while chopping his axe through a hurlock's head. Moments later they faced the second trap.

Mirra looked into a passageway, trying to ascertain the danger. Too bad she couldn't see everything.

"Blade trap, four meters ahead." Leliana told her. Mirra always felt inadequate when Leliana told her about something she could not see. "There's another one four meters ahead of that." Not to mention the two large golems, one on each side. It looked like there were two more past the blade trap. The previous room was full of deadly gas, and had four golems propped against the walls. Mirra forced everyone to stay outside the room and ran frantically in to search for a way to shut off the gas. The gas made her nauseous and caused her vision to fade. She found four valves in an easy pattern around the room. As she shut off the valves the golems reanimated. She was guessing these golems would also wake up.

"Great." Mirra said, before walking into the room. Instantly the two golems animated. Mirra attacked the nearest stone giant.

Shale had a standing order to handle the second golem, so he started beating on the golem Mirra didn't attack. He punctuated each punch with derision; "Stupid," "Mindless," "Slave!", "Can't," "Speak!" "Can't," "Think!" "Dumber," "Than," "Pidgeon!"

Zevran pulled the catch for the blade trap, releasing the tension in the cable. The two golems past the trap came to life. "That's not good." He said to himself. The team was still battling the other two. "Mirra!"

Mirra blocked a blow from the golem to glance towards Zevran. He was dodging blows from two more golems. "Oghren! Sten!" It was all she needed to say. Soon showers of sparks were flying off Oghren's axe and Sten's sword as they wailed against the stone giants. One more axe to the knee and Mirra's golem fell. She turned and slammed her axe against the next one.

Eventually they were surrounded by piles of rock. Mirra saw a few dwarf bodies lying around. Some obviously slashed by the blade traps, some obviously crushed by golems. That they made it this far was a testament to dwarven resilience. Somehow they got through the room full of poisonous gas and part way through this room. None of the darkspawn made it this far, not even the huge ogre they killed. Further evidence of Branka's lack of decision making skills. No reasonable individual would think the darkspawn could negotiate a series of traps. It also showed her cowardice. Had Branka been brave she would have followed her men into this set of traps and showed them how to get through.

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Morrigan analyzed the third trap as the remainder of their group rested. The school mistress was working on Oghren. Who'd managed to get injured again.

The intricacy of the trap was impressive. The builder needed intimate knowledge of machines and magic, a rare combo among mages. It was unheard of among dwarfs. There was a column in the middle of the room with faces on four sides. In front of each face was an anvil. Once they entered the room each of the faces started shooting lightning at them. They had to beat upon the anvils with enough force to shut down each face in turn. Each face switched to death magic once shut down, and had to be shut down a second time. While they attacked the anvils dwarven spirits attacked them. When they finally shut them all down the exit opened.

Though analyzing the mechanics of the trap was giving her a temporary lift of spirits, Morrigan was increasingly annoyed at being underground. Having grown up in the wilds, she was closer in experience to the Dalish than other humans or city elves. Being surrounded by walls was unpleasant. Being way underground was more than unpleasant. She found herself snipping at Alistair and Wynne almost constantly. Mirra told her she could leave days ago, but Morrigan thought she would need proper magic support. She hoped this ordeal would be over soon.

While Morrigan studied the link between the anvils and the column, Mirra walked over.

"Find anything interesting?" She asked.

"'Tis fascinating. For a race entirely without magic to have constructed such an intricate magical device is astounding." Morrigan told her, copying the runes off the anvils.

"How much longer would you like?" Mirra asked. "Everyone is healed, and I'm sure you're ready to be back on the surface."

Morrigan thought for a minute. "You are correct, I am ready to be away from this place. Allow me to take a few more notes and we can go." A few minutes later they proceeded to the next room. And found a huge metal golem...that talked.

The metal golem was the Paragon Caradin from eons ago, and he created the Anvil of the Void, the means for the dwarves to create golems. Morrigan was listening carefully until Caradin let them know the anvil did not create life, it could only steal life from elsewhere. The anvil took life from living dwarves to add the essence of life to the stone giants. She looked around and saw eight or so other golems guarding the Paragon. Beyond the golems the cavern had lyrium crystals strewn about, and dropped off at what appeared to be a steep cliff. Beyond the cliff glowed bright orange. Morrigan guessed lava was creating the glow, the forge smell was overwhelming. She returned her attention to the golem when he spoke to Shale directly. Morrigan smiled to find out Shale was originally a dwarf, a female dwarf.

Caradin thought the anvil was a terrible creation, and wanted to destroy it, but couldn't do so himself. He needed their help. Before Mirra could make a decision the psychotic Branka ran in and tried to convince her to keep the anvil, dangling the prospect of golems to fight the blight. Though tempted, Mirra was not swayed. Morrigan was already shifting for cover when Branka held up some kind of rod and commanded the golems to assist her. Half the assembled golems immediately attacked their group.

Sten, Alistair, Oghren, and Shale immediately held off the golems, and Mirra was left with the crazy Branka and her shield and mace. Morrigan threw a hex on Branka, then started freezing golems. She was irritated to see Caradin seized into a crouch on the floor, locked into inaction somehow.

Zevran was helping with Sten's golem, so it went down first. Morrigan switched to Oghren's right before he went down from a slam to the face. Sten took over and knocked the golem over with a massive blow. It didn't last long after that. Morrigan looked back to see Branka still wailing on Mirra. She smiled to see a porcupine of arrows sticking from every seam on her back. _Leliana's doing her job._ Just then Branka caught Mirra with a lucky shield blow on the chin, knocking her out cold. _Oh no._

Branka turned just as Morrigan refreshed the hex on her. She ran straight at her. Morrigan backpedaled quickly. She threw a winter's grasp to slow her down before tripping over a rock. Branka raised her mace and Morrigan sent out a mind blast, knocking her back temporarily. Morrigan stood up, wishing she'd taken the time to learn the stone skin spell. She glanced back to see the edge of the cliff behind her. Branka might knock her off the cliff with the lightest of blows. Branka renewed her forward momentum and raised her mace again.

Morrigan saw something fly past her, then Branka was on her back. Rex was on top of her, chomping on her shield. A few seconds later Branka stopped moving, an arrow protruding from her neck. Leliana found an opening when Branka fell to the floor. Morrigan looked around. The golems were piles of rock on the floor. Wynne assisted with Oghren as Leliana rushed to Mirra's side. Morrigan walked over to take a look. Leliana pulled Mirra's helmet off. Mirra had blood coming from her chin, and was still knocked out.

"Wake up, Mirra dear." Leliana had Mirra's head propped on her lap. Rex was sitting next to Mirra, whining softly. Mirra didn't look bad, just unconscious. She'd never admit it, but times like these made Morrigan want to learn a healing spell. Caradin tromped over to look at Mirra.

Wynne finally arrived. She held her hands to Mirra's head. The wound on her chin healed, but Mirra did not wake. The whole group was around them now.

"She is healed, see if you can wake her." Wynne told them.

Leliana started to pat her cheek. "Wake up, Mirra." She started getting worried. "Mirra dear, wake up." Leliana started to tear up. Alistair started to pace. Leliana continued to pat Mirra's cheek.

"Possibly a bright light?" Morrigan asked. Leliana looked at her, unsure what she was proposing. "Move back a bit." She told her.

Morrigan held her hands in front of her and called forth lightning, arcing it between her hands. It was bright enough that everyone moved back. Leliana turned her head away. Morrigan moved the light closer, trying to increase the intensity.

Just then the lightning found a new target, arcing into Mirra. Leliana shrieked. Morrigan instantly killed the spell. When the smoke cleared, Mirra was looking at her quizzically.

"I apologize, Mirra. You were unconscious." Morrigan told her. There were a couple gasps from their audience. Morrigan glared at them. Leliana brushed off Mirra's face to make sure she was alright, then kissed her.

"What did you do to me, and what do I smell?" Mirra asked, touching her face tentatively.

"Morrigan was trying to wake you up with a bright light, and got too close with her lightning." Leliana told her with a smile.

"You shocked me?!" Mirra said incredulously. Leliana helped her to her feet.

"'Twas not intentional." Morrigan felt badly, though there didn't appear to be any permanent damage. Zevran snickered.

"You look fine, dear." Leliana told her, giving her another kiss. Morrigan was forced to look away. "A few singe marks and slightly less eyebrows, but you look great. I'm happy you're awake, by the way."

Mirra ran a finger across her eyebrows, looking at the dark ash for a moment before sighing. She turned to Caradin to discuss the Anvil.

Morrigan watched Mirra discuss the dwarven king with Caradin, thinking about how she would feel if Mirra were no longer around. Her mother would wish her to continue to follow Alistair, but she wasn't sure how long she could take it. Mirra was an insufferable do-gooder, but she treated her with respect, something Morrigan had never experienced, even from her mother.

She listened briefly to Caradin, but quickly lost interest. She wandered over to a large monument with a lot of text. Upon inspection she could tell the text was a list of names. Oghren, apparently also bored, joined her in reading the names.

"I recognize some of these house names." Oghren told her.

Morrigan did not respond.

"Hey, look! 'Shayle of House Cadash.' What do ye think of that?" He continued, undaunted.

Morrigan turned away to the sound of hammering. Caradin was doing something on the anvil. She walked back to Mirra. Leliana had her arms wrapped around Mirra. Morrigan looked back to the metal golem.

"He's making us a crown for 'our chosen successor'." Mirra told her.

"He doesn't care who we pick? Want a coin to flip?" Morrigan said.

"Thanks but no." Mirra said with a smirk. "We'll continue on our current path."

"Asshole over traditionalist." Morrigan said.

Mirra nodded. "Asshole indeed."

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Alistair did not like the proceedings of the Orzammar assembly. They walked into the assembly to find all the dwarves at each other's throat, exactly as they left them weeks before. Mirra showed them the crown, and made her decision for king. After a short ceremony, Prince Behlen was the new king. Further proving his evil nature, he had his competitor executed immediately. Alistair growled to himself. He turned to see Mirra shaking her head. She walked out of the assembly muttering under her breath. They restocked their supplies and left underground with relief, back to Redcliffe to meet with Eamon.

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They were walking the road to Redcliffe. They had their armies for the blight. Now they just had to deal with Logain. Mirra waved Alistair up to speak with her. Leliana moved away to give them privacy.

"You spent your childhood in orphanages and joined the Templars when you came of age, correct?" Mirra asked.

"Yes." He responded.

"So you don't know anything about politics or the court." It was a statement.

"Yes." He told her.

"We will be dependent on Arl Eamon to help us negotiate the intricacies of the court."

"Agreed." Alistair said.

"I hope you realize Eamon is going to put you forward as the king." Mirra glanced at his face.

"What! No! I've never wanted the throne. Anora can have it!" Alistair spoke a little too loudly. Anora was deceased King Cailen's wife, and Logain's daughter.

"I know, Alistair, but if Anora stays queen, Logain gets away with killing the king, and all the Grey Wardens."

"I...I..." Alistair didn't know what to say. "Eamon should be king! I don't know how to handle the court. Speaking at the proper time, bowing the proper amount, kissing the proper butts..." Alistair pleaded with her.

"Eamon has a claim through marriage, no better than Anora's claim. You have a claim through blood." Mirra told him. "And as for the proper ass to kiss, I'm sure you'll figure out the good guys from the bad. Eamon will help you."

Alistair grumbled. "Can't we kill Logain and leave the throne to Anora?"

"Possibly, though Anora might banish us from Ferelden, making it difficult to fight the blight." Alistair could tell Mirra was using convincing arguments, but it didn't change the fact that he really, really did not want to be king. Anora knew how to handle political battles. Alistair would be lost. He walked in silence for a while.

"I'll help as much as I can, though I'm not exactly a political expert." Mirra told him.

"Ummm...thank you, though I'm still not comfortable about the idea." Alistair said.

"I think you'll be great. The people could use someone concerned about them, rather than propriety or property." Mirra told him.

Alistair took a glance at her as she walked back to Leliana. She might be correct, but it didn't make the prospect any more pleasant.

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Mirra pondered the near future along their journey to Redcliffe. Their main objective was Denerim, for Logain as well as her family. An alternate objective was Flemeth's hut in the Kokari wilds. She couldn't read Morrigan well enough to know if she was upset, but it had been a while since she'd made her request. Mirra had no idea how powerful Flemeth was, but she had to try to put Morrigan's mind at ease.

She was less apprehensive about Logain than seeing the Alienage again. Logain was a threat to extinguish, likely a major threat, but still just something to defeat. Her family and friends were another matter. She didn't know if they lived, much less whether she could do anything about the plague. She must have looked troubled, because Leliana slid her arm through the crook of her elbow.

"What's wrong, Mirra?"

"I'm worried about my family, Leliana." Mirra told her, briefly leaning her head against her shoulder.

"I'm sure everything will turn out ok. Are we heading there now?" Leliana took her hand and stroked it.

"Not yet." Mirra added. "We have to take care of Flemeth."

"Flemeth?! I thought she was a myth." Leliana was taken aback.

"Flemeth is Morrigan's mother, and Morrigan wants her dead, with good reason." Mirra said.

"She's supposed to be incredibly powerful." Leliana said.

"Yep, that's the other thing that's bothering me." Mirra said, giving her a look. "You're going to be important."

"Me? Why would I be important?" Leliana asked.

"It's going to be very difficult for me to get close to her. You've seen Morrigan's technique for throwing attackers away from her. Also, we have no idea what she can change into. Morrigan can reform herself into a wolf, spider, and bear. There's no way to know what Flemeth is capable of."

"I see. Anything I should train for?" She asked.

"I don't know enough about archery or barding to know that, but we should get you some better armor. She's likely to notice you're doing most of the damage, and I don't like thinking about you getting hurt."

Leliana slid her hands down her armor. "Ok. Where too?"

"It's tempting to stop by the Dalish and pick up some of their leather armor." Mirra told her with a dreamy smile. "You would look fabulous in one of their leather outfits."

"Anything you want, Mirra." Leliana said with a sultry smile.

"But they don't exactly provide a lot of coverage. So we should head for Denerim first. Maybe we can find a way into the Alienage while we're there." Mirra returned to looking at the ground. Leliana took her hand again and kissed it.


	10. Chapter 10

Marked with Shame

Chapter 10

Bioware owns rights to all characters.

Mirra cleaned her axe blade off. A tricky operation with the lightning runes she had etched into it. She was shocked every time she neared the edge.

Her group of misfits was within sight of Denerim when they were attacked by a group of bandits. They had decent armor and were well trained, so Mirra suspected they weren't simple bandits. Mirra had cut down the last archer moments before.

"Mirra." Zevran called to her. Mirra looked over to see him holding a knife across the throat of a man pinned to a tree with an arrow. She walked over. The arrow pierced his shoulder, but was not life threatening.

"Tell her what you told me." Zevran told the squirming man.

"We were hired to kill everyone in your group." He told Mirra, stretching his neck to get away from the knife.

"By whom?" Mirra asked.

"Arl Howe, the new Arl of Denerim." He told her. _New Arl of Denerim? _Apparently Mirra took down an Arl with her escape from the estate.

"He's the man who hired me." Zevran added. "He appeared to be Logain's right hand man."

"I see." Mirra said. "How did you know who we were?"

"They told me the Grey Warden group would be headed up by a dark haired female elf and blond male human, but the most obvious clue was the stone giant." He nodded towards Shale.

"Did he tell you why we needed to die?" She asked him.

"He said you were traitors to the crown...that you killed the King!" He declared before a quick intake of breath. Zevran had moved the knife a little closer to his neck. Mirra gave Zev a pat on the shoulder and he pulled back a bit.

"An expected lie. Logain left the King to be killed by the darkspawn." She looked into the man's eyes. "Ask any of his troops if you don't believe me."

He seemed to believe her.

"Are there other groups trying to kill us?" Mirra asked.

"I don't know. There weren't any when we signed up." He told her. Mirra looked towards Denerim.

"We'll assume there are." She turned back to the man. "I assume you would like to live." The man nodded. "Would you like to fight the Blight, rather than your own people?" He didn't think for very long before nodding enthusiastically. Zevran pulled away he knife.

"This Arl Howe sounds like someone who won't live much longer." She snapped off the feathered portion of the arrow. She then pulled him away from the tree and off the arrow, causing him to wince in pain. She handed him a health potion, which he quickly opened and drank. "What's your name?"

"Otto, ma'am." He told her, rotating his shoulder.

"Otto, head to Arl Eamon's estate and ask to join his army. Tell them Mirra sent you." She patted him on the shoulder. He looked at her, not believing she was letting him go. "Go." She leaned her head towards Denerim. He backed away slowly, still not entirely convinced she was letting him go, then turned and sprinted towards town.

"So...Logain is trying to have us killed." Alistair said.

"Again." Mirra said, turning towards the rest of their group. "Keep your weapons on at all times. We need to be on guard while here. And Zev, please be careful at the Pearl."

Zevran gave her a sly smile. "Of course."

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Logain sat on his throne, leaning to one side with his head in his hand. He heard Howe enter the room and groaned inwardly. _Bad news again. He would stride in with exuberance if the Grey Wardens were dead._

"Sire...we received word..." Howe started, but stopped as Logain leveled a glare at him.

"Your attempt to kill the Wardens failed again?"

"Yes...Sire. And we're having trouble finding...associates willing to make another attempt." Howe couldn't even look him in the face.

"This elven bitch is the same one the former Arl of Denerim's son dragged into his estate?" Logain said.

"So the reports say, Sire."

"The same one who carved a path of destruction through the estate to rescue several other elves, killing the son in the process?"

"Yes, Sire." Howe said.

"So she never would have joined the Grey Wardens had he fucked the hired help like everyone else." Logain spat at him.

"Sire." Howe didn't bother with an explanation. Logain shook his head forlornly.

"How much money have we poured down this rabbit hole?" Logain asked.

"The Tevinter's are very happy with our arrangement in the Alienage." Logain thought the money they made by turning the Alienage over to the slavers wasn't as much as Howe imagined, but let him continue. "Ummm. I had another idea." Howe changed the subject. "Eamon's estate is not unbreachable, someone could break in and take care of them in the quiet of the night. I have someone I could convince to..." Logain shook his head in his hand and waved him off, granting approval while showing contempt. Howe seemed reluctant to leave. Logain cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Sire, we have another problem." Logain thought he looked exactly like a weasel in that brief moment.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Sire, your daughter is starting to ask questions... to the wrong sort of people." Howe was back to looking at the floor. "Until this all blows over we might need to keep her out of the public eye."

_Anora, sometimes you are too smart for your own good._ "Very well, but if you harm a single hair on her head, so help me, I will skin you." Logain told him.

Howe bowed and backed out of the room in his typical manner. Logain shook his head. _All this because the Arl's son couldn't keep it in his pants._

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"Zevran, come join us." Mirra asked him to sit with her and Leliana at their table. The Gnawed Noble wasn't busy at this time of the day, but Mirra still picked a corner booth the furthest from anyone. Zevran sauntered over and took the mug she offered.

"Yes Mirra?" He flashed his super bright smile. "You've finally accepted my threesome offer?"

"No!" Mirra said, her train of thought momentarily derailed. She shook her head to remove unpleasant images from her mind. "Ugg. I have a special job for you."

"In the bedroom?" He asked, always the confident one.

"Not quite. I need you to find a way into the Alienage and see what's going on."

"You want me to head into a plague zone?" Zevran asked. "I apologize if I have offended you in any way."

"Zevran you haven't offended me." Mirra told him with a smile. "I don't think there is a plague in the Alienage. If my hunch is correct it is a ruse to create fear in the populace. Fear of an outside threat keeps people from joining a rebellion. If you see evidence for or against a plague then hurry back and let me know."

"I see. You realize this will cut into my drinking and carousing with prostitutes." He told her, taking a drink of his ale.

"Do it while we're dealing with Morrigan's mother. You should have plenty of time left over for fun. Our trip should take at least a week." Mirra could tell he was salivating at the prospect. "I'll take that as a yes." She gave him a grin. He smiled, downed the rest of his mug, then left the tavern.

With Zevran gone Mirra took Leliana's hand into hers, holding it tightly. "I should let you know that I never told my father my preference for the fairer sex." She leaned her head on Leliana's shoulder.

"I understand. Will he be upset?" Leliana asked.

"I don't know. He might be disappointed. I think he was hoping for grand kids." Mirra left out the arranged marriage ordeal.

"Ok. Will my race cause him distress?" She asked.

"No, he never held those kind of prejudices. It will probably surprise him. In reality I was more prejudiced than him." Mirra squeezed her hand. "It took you to show me the error of my ways."

"Your experience with humans in the Alienage was...not good. Anyone in that situation would find it hard to trust them."

"Maybe, but my father brought me up better than that."

"Sounds like a great guy. I can't wait to meet him." Leliana told her.

Mirra pushed away the thought that she might not see him again. Concentrating instead on Leliana's new armor. "Your new armor looks great, does it fit well?"

"It fits great, I can't believe Wade gave it to us for free." Mirra entered Wade's Emporium in Denerim expecting to shell out a lot of gold for some better armor for Leliana. While perusing his wares she casually mentioned the drake scales they found in the ruins before the Gauntlet. Wade begged her to use the scales for some armor. She handed them over. When the first set of armor hadn't been to his liking, he asked for more scales, again doing the work for nothing. Mirra suited Leliana up with the better set, and gave the second set to Zevran.

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Zevran stuck his knife into a seam above his head, making sure the grip was secure before pulling himself up a few more inches. The gates to the Alienage were well guarded, so climbing the wall was the only way in...other than the sewer, which Zevran did not consider an option. Smelling awful for the next week would make his anticipated activities hard, if not impossible.

He pulled his other knife out of the wall before repeating the process and pulling a few more inches upward. A sound drew his attention downward. He froze. A guard was patrolling the route around the wall. Zevran had to hope he wouldn't look up. It was dusk, and Zevran was in shadow, but there was still a small chance he would glance upward and catch Zevran on the wall a couple meters above him.

Much to Zevran's dismay, the guard was taking his own sweet time along his route. The normal guard pace is slow enough to allow one to walk all night and not get tired, which was great if you were the guard with a whole shift ahead of you, it was not great when you were holding yourself above them with just your arms and two knife blades.

After an interminable amount of time, Zevran was once again able to work his way up the wall. His arms were burning by the time he reached the top. He pulled himself up and stepped onto a nearby roof, making sure to stay near the spine where the roof had the most strength. He crept along the roof to the edge near the square. In the dying light of the day he could see several elves milling about near the entrance to a building. There were several men there in clothing that appeared Tevinter in origin. As he watched them the men waved away the elves and disappeared into the building. Zevran started working his way around the edge of the Alienage to get a better view of the building.

Initial inspection did not make a plague likely. Elves would not be in crowds during a plague, they would hunker down inside their houses. Also, they would be burning the bodies of the dead to reduce the spread of the disease. None of that was visible. There weren't any coughing homeless around either, an all too common sight in times of rampant infection.

Once dark settled over the city, Zevran found a vantage for the alley behind the building occupied by the Tevinters. An elven guard stood outside the door. He waited for several hours before the back door opened. The guard moved aside to allow several Tevinters to exit. Behind the men were several elves chained together at the neck. A Tevinter behind the elves shoved the last elf, pushing him into the elf ahead.

This was not how you handle plague victims. You wouldn't want to be near a plague victim, much less touch them. The elves did not look sick, there was no coughing, they didn't appear weak. This looked a lot more like slaver activity. As to why Logain would allow this to occur, Zevran didn't venture a guess. Surely mere money would not drive anyone to allow slavers into Ferelden, though Zevran had heard of worse.

After the Tevinter's dragged the elves around a corner Zevran sat on the roof, listening. With the silence of the night, he could hear everything. He heard talking from a house behind him, and not much else. The quiet of a fearful populace was everywhere. It was obvious most of the elves genuinely thought there was a plague. The absence of coughing or sneezing was the most conspicuous evidence to the contrary. Most likely the slavers rounded up anyone who stirred up too much trouble.

_Time to head back to the Pearl until Mirra returns._

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Flemeth was upset, and Mirra didn't blame her. She'd saved their lives, after all. On the other hand, Morrigan had saved her life countless times, and she was her friend. Flemeth wanted them to take her book of spells to Morrigan and let her disappear. Though it seemed like the easiest approach, Mirra didn't want to deceive Morrigan in that fashion.

"Do you truly believe Morrigan cares about you?" Flemeth asked.

"Of course." Mirra answered.

Flemeth laughed. "That's rich. I have trained her well." She shook her head at Mirra. "Morrigan is using you. Has she ever done anything for you to the detriment of herself?"

"Other than almost getting killed several times?" Mirra answered reflexively, but she was thinking about it.

Flemeth looked at her closely. "You can't remember anything, can you?"

"She's done plenty for Mirra's benefit that she didn't need to." Leliana said. Of all the people to advocate for Morrigan, Leliana wasn't high on Mirra's list. She wondered if there was anything specific Leliana was remembering.

"But nothing to her detriment..." Flemeth said, but Mirra saw a flicker of surprise cross her face. She pulled her axe off her back. Flemeth saw the move. "Very well, let the dance begin." She walked to an open area and started to transform.

Mirra's eyes focused on her, then went higher, then even higher.

"Oh Maker. Maybe we should have taken her offer." Alistair said.

"You might be right." Mirra said. _Bloody hell._ Flemeth was now a huge dragon, towering over them. "Attack, but keep moving!" She ran straight at the dragon, ducking at the last instant and rolling under it. She took a swing at a rear leg and was rewarded with a jarring blow as Flemeth hit her with her tail. Mirra flew into a nearby patch of swamp.

"Nasty." She said, picking herself out of the smelly muck. Times like this made her wish for a modicum of skill with a bow. She quickly began the arduous task of walking back to the clearing, each step sinking deep into the mud. She watched her team attack the huge beast. From a distance they looked like a swarm of ants attacking a large lizard. Shale, Oghren, and the others were circling the dragon furiously while it lashed out at them.

She watched helplessly as Alistair was sent flying into a nearby tree. Soon after Flemeth sent a fireball soaring to Leliana and Wynne's location. Mirra took a sharp breath, but Leliana seemed unhurt. Her new armor was doing its job. Mirra continued pulling her feet through the slime as Wynne picked herself back up. She healed herself and returned to firing her staff.

"Spread out, ladies!" Mirra yelled. She stepped onto dry land as they shifted away from each other. Flemeth glanced in her direction and sent a quick fireball before smacking Shale into Sten. Mirra was glad her armor had some fire resistance as the flames engulfed her. _No eyebrows, once again._ Mirra ran up to a leg and swung her axe hard against the knee. Flemeth howled. She turned directly to Mirra and breathed a huge plume of flame all over her. Mirra dove to the side and took another shot at the same knee. Again Flemeth issued a huge roar. The kick that followed was unexpected, and Mirra again found herself flying through the air. The squelch when she landed let her know she was again in the muck.

"Maker's breath." Mirra sighed, pulling herself up for the second time. She began the trek to return to the battle, again watching her team fight the dragon. Alistair had gotten up and returned to the battle at some point. Oghren was out cold against Flemeth's hut. Sten and Shale were still running circles around the beast, taking shots at the legs. Rex had his teeth in the dragon's tail, holding on for dear life as he was swung around.

Just as Mirra regained dry ground Flemeth finally got tired of the porcupine of arrows in her hide and ran over to grab Leliana in her jaws.

"No!" Screaming, Mirra leapt up on a knee then on the back of the thing. Flemeth was distracted enough to not notice Mirra until she climbed up her scale covered hide to her neck. Leliana was dropped and Flemeth whipped her head around just in time to see Mirra slamming her axe between two scales on the back of her neck. Spinal column severed, the dragon flopped to the ground. Mirra fell to the side, quickly rising to finish removing the head, only to find Sten slashing his sword through what was left of the neck. Mirra nodded to him before turning away from the bloody mess.

"Leliana!" She ran to her side, not sure whether she was still alive. Arms sneaking around her waist let her know she was.

"I took care of her, Mirra." Wynne said from nearby.

"Wade does good work." Leliana referred to the Denerim armorer who made her drakeskin armor. "And Wynne healed the rest." They both stood up.

"Let's grab the grimiore and be away from this place..." Mirra looked down at herself and sighed. She was covered in swamp slime, mud, and fresh dragon blood. "I need another bath."

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"Logain? It is an...honor. I didn't expect to be greeted by the acting regent." Arl Eamon greeted Logain as he walked into Eamon's estate in Denerim, acting like he owned the place. Mirra, Alistair, and Eamon were discussing strategy when the regent arrived with guards and a couple others in tow. Mirra sized up her opponent. He'd certainly polished his armor since their last meeting.

"How could I not welcome a man so important as to call every lord in Ferelden away from their lands during a Blight." Logain said. Same ego as the last time they met. Mirra looked over Logain's supporters. A thin, grey haired weasel with a pair of axes, and a dark haired woman in green armor wielding a huge sword.

"The Blight is why I'm here. Ferelden must have a king to lead its armies." Eamon said.

"Ferelden already has a queen, and I lead its armies." Logain said with a lofty tone.

"Nice job at Ostagar, regent." Mirra cut in.

Logain looked down at her, making it seem like a long journey down to her face. "What's this, Eamon? Some stray you found by the side of the road? I thought you only kept royal bastards as company these days."

"At least you admit the royal part." Alistair said from behind her.

"Should the queen be worried you'll abandon her to the darkspawn, like the king?" Mirra said, maintaining her glare at Logain.

"Quiet churl, your betters are speaking!" The dark haired lady poked a finger in her direction. Mirra couldn't help but smirk at her.

"My betters? I doubt it. I don't poison my enemies.". She returned her gaze to Logain.

"Enough, Cauthrien, now is not the time.". Logain returned his focus to Eamon. "Eamon, Ferelden is under siege, we must be united now, more than ever."

"You divided Ferelden." Mirra said.

"I was not speaking to you." Logain glared at her.

"Maker forgive you for what you've done, Logain. I cannot." Eamon stated. "We need a king of the Theirin bloodline. Alistair will lead us against the Blight." Logain scoffed.

"The emperor of Orlais also thought he could defeat me. Expect no more mercy than I gave him." With that ultimatum Logain left, his lackeys trailing in his wake.

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Author's note: I apologize for the slowness of the updates. I had some difficulty with this chapter. I hope you like it.


	11. Chapter 11

Marked with Shame

Chapter 11

Bioware owns rights to all characters.

Nora was climbing the wall behind the target's room. The target was finally slumbering peacefully, after an epic bout of lovemaking with her human. _What I wouldn't give for that kind of attention from my lover..._ She shifted her left foot up and placed it into the next crack between the stones. Her right arm followed suit.

For her reconnaissance she dressed as a maid, locating the room and room layout with a delivery of towels. The bed was right below the window, the door opposite the bed. The target was a powerful fighter from the size of her weapon, though she was a small elf. Her human was an archer of some sort, without her bow she wouldn't be much of a threat, she would take out the elf first. She remembered the kind way the pair treated her with some guilt. She was thanked for her delivery of towels and treated like a person, not just a servant. _Think of Catherine. This job is all that keeps you apart. _ She shifted her other leg upward, finally bringing her head level with the bottom of the window.

Her second target was a few rooms away. He was a goofy human, though he too appeared quite strong. Arl Howe told her the elf was the top priority, with the human male as the secondary target. Why he thought the elf maiden was a greater threat than the human she couldn't imagine. When she asked why they needed to die, he gave some excuse about the pair being ruthless killers.

She clenched her teeth as she inspected the lock on the window. She hated Howe, and wanted nothing to do with assassination, but he was holding her sister in his dungeon. For 'stealing', which was laughable. She was the thief, not her nine year old sister. She pulled out her tool then immediately ducked down below the level of the window. Someone was knocking on the target's door. _Damnit._ A lamp was lit.

After several minutes of movement and muffled speaking the room was again dark. Nora waited several more minutes to hear the deep breathing of sleep again. She lifted her head, inspected the room for movement, then wedged her tool under the window. The latch gave momentary resistance before releasing with a click. She winced, staying perfectly still for several minutes. With no renewed movement in the room she pulled the window open slightly. Once open far enough for a hand she took a tube from her belt and lubricated the hinges, wiping up drips with a piece of cloth. She lifted the newly silent window the rest of the way, taking a careful look around the room.

The elf and human were entwined in bed, still sleeping peacefully below her. She again felt a pang of remorse. She set her jaw and pulled out her knife. _I've got no choice._ She pulled herself carefully into the window.

When she was halfway into the room she heard a low growl. She looked to the foot of the bed and saw the largest dog she'd ever seen. It was looking at her as if deciding whether she tasted good. It wasn't in the room when she conducted her visit. She froze.

Several things happened at once. A hand grabbed her around the throat at the same time the door slammed open, blinding her with the bright light from the hallway. The hand yanked her into the room and flipped her onto her back. She hit the bed in shock. A knife was pressed against her throat at the same time her wrist was hit with enough force to snap the bone. Nora groaned in pain as her knife clattered to the floor.

"It's one of the maids." The human said from behind her. She had a foreign accent.

She saw that another elf, a blond male, had opened the door to the hallway. He lit a lamp and closed the door. The dog continued a low growl, but didn't move from the end of the bed.

"No!" She exclaimed. They'd gotten the drop on her, Catherine was dead...or worse. "Please..."

"Please, assassin?" The elf appeared before her in a shirt and little else. She patted the dog on the head. "Why should we spare you, when you didn't offer us the same courtesy?" The human must be holding the knife to her neck. She could tell it was quite sharp. She clutched her broken wrist in her hand.

"I'm not an assassin! Howe forced me, he has my sister!" The knife relaxed slightly.

"She's good, but she's not an assassin." The blond elf said from her right where he leaned against the wall. He had a different foreign accent. He was wearing nice leather armor.

"Why should we believe you?" The female elf's tone changed slightly. Nora was starting to feel she was working for the wrong side, not that she'd had a choice.

"I don't care what happens to me, just get my sister out of the dungeon. She's only nine." Nora said, tears starting to drip from her eyes. "Please."

"Wake up Wynne." The elf told the blond elf, who left the room with a nod. She walked to her side and took the knife, keeping it against her neck. "Disarm her." The human came around and removed all her weapons, powders, and tools. She still had a blade in her boot, but doubted it would do much good against this group.

"She might have something in her hair, shoes, or underthings. I'll keep an eye on her." The human was wearing a short nightdress that came to mid thigh.

The knife was removed and the elf stood before her once again. She tossed the knife to the human. Nora slowly sat up, clutching her arm to her stomach. She considered her opportunities for escape. She'd never get through the window. She might make it to the door, but the dog would chase her down. The elf gave her a sad look.

"What's your name, girl?" The elf asked. Nora looked at her, not sure whether to use her real name. The human casually flipped the knife in her hand. So much for her only using a bow.

"Nora Smythe, ma'am." She looked down, crossing her legs to sit on the bed. Her arm was really starting to hurt.

"Nora, I'm Mirra. This is Leliana. The other elf is Zevran. How old are you?" The elf asked. Politeness was not something Nora expected.

"Seventeen, ma'am." Nora told her, knowing there was no point to lying. The human gasped.

"Sheesh..." Mirra shook her head. "Alright, Nora. Let's say I believe you. What's your sister's name?"

"Catherine, ma'am."

"Please don't call me ma'am, Nora." Mirra said. "And you said she's in the Arl's dungeon? What's she in for?"

"He said it's for stealing, ma...Mirra. But it's a lie. My sister doesn't steal. She's a good girl."

"But you do." Mirra waved her hand to the pile of Nora's gear on the dresser.

"Yes ma'am...Mirra." Nora looked down. "After ma died I couldn't find decent work, and I don't want to work on my back, if you know what I mean."

"I understand." Mirra said, again shaking her head. "No father?" She asked.

"I never knew my father. Ma wouldn't tell me." Nora said. The human had put the knife away, and was looking at her with sympathy.

"What does your sister look like?" Mirra asked.

"Like me, blond, except her hair is long. Her skin is lighter than mine." Nora told her. There was a knock at the door.

"Come in." Mirra turned to the door. The blond elf returned with an old woman in a robe. "Wynne, take care of her arm, please."

The old woman approached and reached to her. Nora recoiled.

"I won't hurt you, child. I promise." The old woman told her. The grandmotherly tone spoke deeply to Nora, reminding her of her own mother. She was inclined to believe her. She held out her arm tentatively, holding it up with her other arm. The break was painfully obvious.

"Mirra!" Wynne looked to Mirra reproachfully before taking hold of the broken limb gently.

"She was trying to kill me, Wynne. I didn't know she was still a teenager." Mirra answered as if to a disappointed parent. Nora would have smiled if she hadn't been in so much pain. She assumed this Wynne would splint the limb and give her a poultice. She was shocked when she felt a warming sensation before the pain faded away.

"You're a Mage!" She exclaimed, moving her healed arm gingerly.

"Yes, child. Now try not to do anything strenuous with your arm for a couple hours."

"Like climbing walls.". Mirra said with a smirk. "The Circle let me borrow Wynne to stop the Blight, Nora."

"The Blight? So, you're Grey Wardens?" Nora's eyes were wide. "No wonder you stopped me so easily."

"Actually, Zevran noticed you on the wall outside when he returned from a tryst at the Pearl. You probably could have hurt one of us before Rex tore your throat out. I'm glad it didn't come to that. Wynne, check her throat too. I grabbed her pretty harshly."

"Ummm...Me too." Nora peered down at the dog, lying at Mirra's feet. Wynne held her hands over her neck and she felt the warmth again. "Rex is the dog?" He apparently assumed she was no longer a threat, since he was dozing at his master's feet. Wynne backed away, but didn't leave.

"Yes, Rex is my mabari. The fact that he isn't growling gives me a good feeling about you, plus the fact that you haven't lied to me." Mirra glanced at Leliana, who nodded.

"Yes, ma...Mirra." Nora said, still expecting some kind of punishment.

"I can't let you go, since you tried to kill Leliana. But we need to keep you somewhere safe until we confirm your story." Mirra appeared to think as a little light of hopefulness grew inside Nora. _What are the odds? _She assumed after this night either they would be dead and her sister free, or she would be dead and her sister as good as dead. "Zev, go grab one of the guards." The blond elf left again. Nora felt her stomach drop. There was no telling what a guard might do to her.

"Nora, you're going to have to stay my prisoner until I can confirm your story, though I will not allow anyone of your age to be placed in the dungeon." Mirra looked her over, then looked at her pile of tools. "You are obviously not without skill..." The elf looked to Leliana, who smiled. Nora looked between them warily, no idea what was passing between them.

"Yes...Mirra." Nora admitted.

"How about...once we confirm your story and hopefully rescue your sister, you start training to be a guard for Arl Eamon. You can help him improve the security for his estate in return for you and your sister's room and board. Once trained you should be able to afford a place for you and your sister, though you might have to move to Redcliffe."

Nora's mind whirled._ A real job! _A nasty voice in the back of her head piped up. _You!? Ha! It's a trick! No one would help a gutter rat like you._ "I...I just tried to kill you. Why would you help me?"

Mirra laughed. "Apparently I'm a pushover,". She looked over at the human, Leliana, who was giving her a warm smile, "and I have a soft spot for the destitute in Denerim."

"But why?" Nora still couldn't wrap her mind around this turn of events. The voice in the back of her head was still nagging her.

"I grew up in the Alienage here." Mirra told her. "I know how this town treats those down on their luck."

"Really?!" Nora couldn't believe one of the fabled Grey Wardens could come out of the squalor of the Alienage.

"Hard to believe, I know..." She was interrupted by a knock to the door. "Come in." Zevran came in with one of the estate guards. He seemed confused about the situation.

"This is guardsman Thomas." Zevran told them.

"Thomas, this is Nora. She is to be my guest at the estate for the foreseeable future." Leliana held out a hand to Nora, who took it after a moment of hesitation. She was helped off the bed.

"Guest?" He said.

"Yes, guest, though we need to make sure she can't escape. Take her to a room..". She gave Nora a crooked smile. "...without a window. She'll need to be guarded for tonight, but I anticipate that will end sometime tomorrow. Find another guard so you don't leave her unattended. Give her food if she wants, and treat her well. If I hear otherwise I'll let Morrigan try out spells on you." The guard's eyes grew large. Nora wondered who this Morrigan was.

"Yes ma'am." He visibly gulped. Zevran grinned.

"I'll let the housekeeper know she's here, and discuss it with Eamon tomorrow. Send the guard captain to me if he has any questions."

"Yes Ser. Uh, ma'am?" He looked at Nora expectantly, obviously not sure how to treat her. He held his arm towards the door.

As Nora walked out Mirra addressed her. "Nora, you're a resourceful girl, and you could probably find a way to escape, but I hope you'll give this a shot."

Nora turned to face her directly. "Please rescue my sister, ma'am."

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Still in shock, Nora sat on her bed, staring at the wall. The guard had been so scared he hadn't touched her the entire walk to the room. Nora had been tempted to run to see if he'd try to grab her, but resisted the urge.

She glanced over to the dresser. The housekeeper had brought her a nightshirt, some towels, and some leftover stew. Her mouth started watering the instant the smell hit her, but she restrained herself until the woman left. The stew had more meat than she'd seen since mother died, and she had to stop eating after a few spoonfuls. Her stomach was unaccustomed to the luxury, and she forced herself to stop before internal revolt. She'd briefly laid down on the bed, but having slept on a straw mattress her entire life, couldn't imagine how people slept on anything so soft.

She thought about Catherine. Had Howe broken his word? Would she be hurt? She recalled her trip into his dungeon. Catherine had been elated to see her, then confused when they wouldn't let her out of her cell. She was still in her nightshirt, a flimsy garment so threadbare it was practically see through. Nora hugged her as much as possible through the bars, then Howe's guards had dragged her away, leaving Catherine wailing. Nora had attempted to placate her as she was pulled to another part of the dungeon. In another room they'd shown her a couple men in another couple cells.

Nora looked at Howe with confusion.

He leered at her. "These are convicted child molesters."

Realization dawned on her. "You wouldn't!"

"They'll be your sister's cell-mates if you fail."

"No!" It was all she could say. "No!" Tears started to fall. Howe's guards dragged her out of the dungeon and threw her into the street. She could recall Howe's laughter vividly.

It was out of her hands, now. She continued to stare at the wall, knowing she wouldn't get any sleep.

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The next morning Mirra, Leliana, and Zevran were brainstorming ideas for rescuing the girl from the Arl of Denerim's estate when they were summoned by Arl Eamon.

"I have been apprised of your...'guest', and her unusual status, but I will respect your judgment. I understand you wish to infiltrate the estate of the Arl of Denerim. I believe we have another reason to breach his estate." Eamon told them, presenting them a dark haired elf.

"Ok." Mirra said, looking over the unfamiliar elf.

"I am Erlina, the queen's handmaiden. She is requesting your assistance. Arl Howe is keeping her locked up on his estate." She talked with an Orlesian accent.

"Doesn't she have her own guards?" Mirra asked.

"She believes they would return her to her father, and he approved her captivity." Erlina told them.

"I see. Sounds like it could be a trap." Mirra looked to Eamon.

"We might not have a choice, Warden." Eamon told her, "Anora would be a valuable ally, and a worse enemy."

"Wonderful." Mirra rolled her eyes.

"There is a back way in," Erlina told them. "And we have some guard uniforms to allow you to sneak in." Mirra thought about it. She wouldn't be able to take Shale, Oghren, or Sten, but the rest of them should be able to accompany her.

"Alright, we'll meet you there." Mirra told Erlina. The elf left.

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Mirra met with her infiltration group before leaving for the Arl's estate. Both of the mages would stay behind with Sten, Oghren, and Shale, there was no way they could explain a staff with a guards uniform, not to mention Wynne's age was problematic. That left Alistair, Leliana, Zevran, and Rex. Mirra questioned whether elves could pass as guards, but she was damned if she was going to stay behind.

She explained the trip could be a fiasco, but they had a queen and young girl to rescue. She told them as much about the estate as she could remember, though she didn't know the dungeon's location. The assumption was they would find some stairs down eventually. Alistair would lead the group because he was human, and had the most convincing guard appearance.

Mirra briefly looked in on her guest. Nora was still in the room, though she'd obviously not slept, and the tear streaks on her face made plain she was terrified for her sister. She attempted to soothe the poor girl, but it was quickly apparent nothing would help until her sister was safe. Mirra left Shale outside the door as a precaution while she was away from Eamon's estate, and took her disguised group to the back of the Arl of Denerim's estate.

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With Alistair at the head of the group, things were simpler than Leliana imagined. Alistair used his apologetic but forgetful good boy routine to the guards at the back door, and they were allowed in without a password. Leliana was amazed that it worked. Something in Alistair's demeanor didn't allow for deception to cross the guard's minds. The elven maid met them in the kitchen to lead them to the queen.

As they walked through the estate to where the queen was being held, Leliana couldn't help but contrast the queen's maid and Mirra. They were both roughly the same height with the same hair color, but the similarities ended there. Where Erlina held herself with the overly proper grace of most Orlesian servants, Mirra moved with the confidence of a cat, also graceful, but with barely contained strength lurking under her skin.

After a little thought, Leliana was happy Alistair was in the lead. Mirra was exuding a dangerous aura that would alert anyone paying attention. Her previous experience in the estate was giving her ample reasons for anger.

Mirra had finally given Leliana a full account of her horrors in the estate. The thought of it creased Leliana's brow. They were discussing the infiltration of the estate with Zevran, and Mirra had disclosed a basic layout of the main floor. Something an Alienage elf wouldn't normally know. Zevran asked how she came by the information, which was met with more malice than Mirra had shown in some time, quickly followed by an apology.

Later, when they were in their room alone, Mirra told her the entire tale. Leliana had trembled with rage as the story continued. The Arl's son had walked into the Alienage and grabbed several female elves straight out of a wedding, while the wedding was in process!(Mirra's cousin Soris was to be married)…In front of a revered mother, no less! Within the Arl's estate, Mirra had to escape her captors and tear her way through a small army of guards to rescue her cousin. Mirra barely made it through the description of her permanent disfigurement. Leliana had held her very tight, and kissed her constantly to help her through the memory. The story was so outstanding as to be unbelievable, but Mirra's scar made it impossible to deny.

_It's a wonder Mirra ever allowed a human close to her. What that arrogant Arl's son did to her and her cousin was beyond the pale! To think she would have been tortured and killed for the 'crime' of rescuing her cousin... _Leliana fumed at the injustice, and thanked the Maker Mirra allowed her into her heart. It showed Leliana just how kind Mirra was.

Leliana was pulled away from her thoughts by their arrival at the door separating them from the queen. Unfortunately the rescue would not be easy. They needed to breach the dungeon for more than Nora's sister. The door was magically locked by a mage, who would be somewhere below. The maid led them to the door to the dungeon(through the Arl's bedroom, which should be surprising, but wasn't.) before returning to her queen.

On the way to the dungeon they met an imprisoned Orleasian Grey Warden named Riordan. He had been poisoned, so he was too weak to help them, but he promised to meet them later at Arl Eamon's estate. Another set of doors and they were in the dungeon proper, where their costumes lost effectiveness. The guard at the door did not recognize them, and the battle began. Leliana noticed several traps, but they were Zevran's concern. She immediately took out a few archers before assisting Mirra with the fighters.

The trek through the dungeon was not terribly difficult; though Leliana missed Wynne's heals. She had a wound on her arm that was not pleasant. There were traps and torture devices everywhere. All the cells they encountered were empty, so Catherine must be further in.

"Mage." Alistair motioned through a door. Mirra nodded and everyone readied themselves.

They entered to find two mages, a warrior, and the grey haired rogue Leliana had seen with Logain. They hadn't introduced him, but Leliana assumed he was the Arl of Denerim, Arl Howe.

"Ahhh, the Grey Wardens, is it? I'm surprised Eamon would permit you to break into my estate and kill my guards." Howe said.

"Where's the girl?" Mirra asked. Leliana set her sights on the Mage with the fanciest robe, preparing to end him quickly.

"Girl? What girl?" Howe seemed confused for a moment. _Had he actually forgotten her? _Leliana resisted the urge to change her target to Howe. _Mirra will handle him._

"Nora's sister." Mirra hissed through clenched teeth.

"Nora? Ahhh, the assassin." He grinned. "The assassin's sister is already enjoying the attentions of her cell mates." Mirra audibly growled. Rex joined her, making a menacing rumble.

"Wrong answer." Zevran said right before Mirra charged. Leliana released a high powered shot that went through the mage. He crumpled. She switched to the other mage to find he had transformed into a spider, something she hadn't seen anyone but Morrigan do. In a minute the spider looked like a pincushion, so many arrows were piercing its back. She turned back to Howe as the spider died.

Mirra was obviously furious. Howe was a rogue with some skill, but he was having trouble keeping up with Mirra's axe blows, even with two weapons. She would knock him over with her axe handle, then Howe would barely escape a huge blow that slammed into the floor. A few more swings and he would again find himself on the floor. Howe would pick himself off the floor just in time to parry another swing.

Zevran finished up the warrior with Alistair, and got behind Howe to slash the back of his leg. The distraction was just enough to leave Mirra an opening. With a diagonal slash across his chest Howe went down.

With his last breath he started to say something. "I deserve..." He was cut off when Mirra pounded her axe through his neck into the floor, cracking the stones below. She didn't wait to enjoy the victory, instead running to the door to the cells behind Howe. She unlocked it with a key she'd snatched off a jailor earlier.

Leliana heard whimpering and feared the worst. As she followed Mirra through the door she heard a man talking in a childish voice. Leliana rounded a corner and took a sigh of relief. The girl was shivering in the back of her cell with her hands covering her face, but she looked untouched. There were men in both of the cells to each side of her. The men were reaching into the girl's cell, but thankfully the cell was just wide enough that they couldn't reach her. Each of them pulled their arms back when Mirra and Leliana appeared.

The quick thinker of the two piped up. "Thank goodness you've come! Me and my daughter were imprisoned by the Arl unjustly, please release us so we can go home." He looked at them expectantly. Mirra ignored him, unlocking the door to the girl's cell and motioning Leliana in. Leliana was surprised Mirra wanted her to go first, then realized Mirra's blood soaked armor would frighten the child. She quickly put her bow away and entered the cell, crouching to talk to the girl.

"Are you Catherine?" She asked tenderly. The child pulled her hand away from one eye.

"Who are you?" The girl asked Leliana.

"My name is Leliana." She said. "Your sister Nora sent us to rescue you."

The girl pulled her other and away from her face. "Nora? Where is she?"

"It was too dangerous to bring her with us, Catherine." Leliana reached her hand to the girl. "Come with me. I'll take you to her."

The girl reached out and took Leliana's hand. She pulled her off the floor and walked her out of the cell. Leliana gasped to see the gown the girl wore was so worn it was see through. She quickly pulled off her cloak and wrapped it around the girl. The girl clung to her hand tightly.

"So you're her father, huh?" Mirra asked the guy who spoke up.

"Yes! I swear! Please let me out!" He was at the door to his cell.

"And the fact that she was cowering to stay away from you was just...what...shock?" Mirra said. Leliana could tell she was just playing with him.

"Uhh...yeah! She's…uhhh…traumatized! I need to take her home!" _The fact that they knew her and her sister's name hadn't quite sunk in for this fool. _

"What's her last name, Sir?" Mirra asked. Leliana could hear the smirk from around the corner. Leliana left Mirra to get the child away from the men. She covered her eyes when they walked past the bodies of Howe and his men. Zevran, Alistair, and Rex were waiting next to some stairs leading back to the main floor. The girl was immediately enamored with the dog, and ran to his side. Within minutes Catherine was pledging to love Rex forever, and the Mabari was upside down with his feet in the air. Zevran and Alistair couldn't help but chuckle.

Mirra came back from the cells. "There's also a Templar Irminric back there who says he's Bann Alfstanna's brother. He was sort of loopy."

"Probably lyrium withdrawal…" Alistair offered. "It makes you disoriented and weepy. The grand cleric will be furious if she finds out Logain had a Templar imprisoned."

"And the son of Bann Sighard was on a torture device back there. We'll have to let his father know. He can't walk very well." Mirra looked at the girl and dog and a grin spread across her face. Leliana felt warmth blossom in her chest. "Let's get Catherine back to her sister."

Leliana walked Catherine back up the stairs to Anora's door. The queen was released with some minor lock-picking and they prepared to leave.

Leliana didn't hear Mirra's "Oh, no." until it was too late. The exit was surrounded with thirty guards, most of them archers. They would all be turned into pincushions if they tried to escape. Leliana held Catherine's hand tightly, pulling her slightly behind her.

"Warden! I'm surprised you had the gall to kill the Arl of Denerim." Logain's guard captain, Ser Cauthrian said. Leliana tried to figure a way out of the situation.

"Is killing your king worse?" Mirra asked. Leliana could tell she was running scenarios in her head as well.

Cauthrian growled. "You'll hang for this...if you make it out of this room."

"I'll surrender..." Mirra said. Leliana gasped. "If you let my associates go."

"No! Mirra!" Leliana said.

Mirra turned and whispered. "Only way to get the girl out alive. I'll find a way back to you." Leliana's eyes grew wet.

Ser Cauthrian seemed to think about it.

"How many of your troops do you think would live? Do you think you would?" Mirra said with a smirk.

"Alistair goes with us too." Cauthrian said. Mirra thought about it, put her hands on her head, then turned to look at Alistair. He looked baffled. Mirra jerked her eyes towards the girl, then looked back at his face. He seemed to understand. He sighed.

"Very well," Mirra said. "The rest go right now, open the doors."

Cauthrian ground her teeth for a minute, then signaled her guards. Leliana wanted to kiss Mirra goodbye, but she knew the situation was not right. She slowly pulled Catherine between the soldiers and out the door. When everyone was outside the door her tears started to flow. Mirra was looking directly at her. Right as the door swung shut a soldier slammed his shield across her face. Leliana knew the image of Mirra falling backward would haunt her.

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Catherine's reunion with Nora was bittersweet. Leliana smiled as she watched the two girls excitedly hugging and talking.

"Where is Mirra? I'd like to thank her." Nora said, holding her sister's hand.

Leliana brow creased. "Mirra was captured during the rescue."

"She was captured? We need to rescue her!" Nora said, rising to her feet.

"We will, Nora." Leliana told her. "Zevran is collecting supplies."

"Can I help?" Nora asked.

"Stay here with your sister, Nora. We'll get her back." Leliana told her with a brief smile. _We will get her back._


	12. Chapter 12

Marked with Shame

Chapter 12

Bioware owns rights to all characters.

"We'd appreciate temporary lodgings for us and this apostate. We are heading to the Circle tomorrow." Zevran told the guards at Ft. Drakon's inner gate. Leliana tried to look bored while her heart was racing. She glanced over at Morrigan, shifting her hand on Morrigan's bindings as if checking for a good hold, while actually making sure the split section was covered. Morrigan was doing an awesome job of glaring at everyone. Though Leliana admitted that didn't require a lot of acting.

Zevran and Morrigan joined her to rescue Mirra from the fort with little convincing. Morrigan wanted to launch a full scale assault, but Leliana didn't feel comfortable with that kind of attack without Mirra or Alistair. Morrigan eventually relented to this sneaky approach when allowed to keep her staff. Her hands appeared bound, so they were hoping no one noticed the staff on her back. Normally Templars would break the staff as soon as an apostate was captured.

The Templar outfits they procured were uncomfortable and heavy. Zevran was doing an admirable job even though his Templar armor was made for someone larger than he. Leliana's fit well enough, though it was somewhat tight across her breasts.

"Shouldn't she be held in the Chantry?" This guard had a better handle on procedure than most. The guard at the outer gate waved them through with no questions.

"The Chantry is in the opposite direction of our travel," Zevran told him. "…and full of refugees at the moment. We were hoping you could do us a favor."

The guard looked at his partner, who shrugged his shoulders. "Ok, but stay in the waiting area. Do not pass into the training area."

"Thank you, kind sir." Zevran nodded to them before heading through the huge doors into the keep.

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Mirra was floating in a pond. She lay on her back, letting the breeze blow across her bare skin. The sun was warm. Blissfully she stared into the sky, not thinking about much of anything. Her jaw was hurting a little bit, but she ignored it. She watched a cloud drift across her vision.

_"You leave her alone!" _Alistair? Why would Alistair be in my dream?

Hands appeared and started to stroke her body. Leliana found her at last. Mirra smiled to herself. The pain in her jaw persisted.

_"See boys? She likes it. I told you the brand on her chest was evidence enough. And that smooth pussy? Only whores do that." Someone said. Mirra didn't know why anyone was watching her and Leliana. Leliana's ministrations became rougher. Mirra frowned. It wasn't like her._

_"Quit touching her!" Alistair said from a ways off._

_"Shut up blondie! Spread her legs, boys. Time to start this party."_

Mirra felt herself roughly spread, and pain shot through her jaw once again. _Leliana doesn't touch me this way. _Then, a separate thought: _You can't feel pain in dreams. _A more forceful thought: _This isn't a dream._

"Leave her alone!" Alistair said.

Mirra woke to find a man forcing his way between her legs. She clamped her legs around him. She noticed he wasn't wearing pants at the same instant she realized she was naked. Rage tinted her vision red.

"Augg!" He yelled in surprise, member still in hand. She reached down and grabbed his scrotum, hard. He started shrieking in a most un-masculine manner.

"Is this what you want?" She growled between clenched teeth. His body went limp. She smashed her fist into his face, sending him flying away. Blood sprayed from his nose.

Several other men grabbed her arms. One hit her wounded face. Stars exploded across her vision. Mostly blind, she whipped a leg up and connected with one of their heads, freeing an arm. She snapped the forearm of another against the table, grabbing his sword as he jerked away. In moments the men were bloody piles on the floor, and she was dripping in blood.

Alistair watched the bloodbath with an unusual lack of pity. Normally he felt sorry for men who attacked them. They were just working for the wrong side, trying to feed their families. It was unfortunate timing that set them against the Grey Wardens. This group in the dungeon of Fort Drakon were awful. Killing them was more like killing darkspawn: evil things that must be exterminated.

When they first threw him in the cell he cooperated, thinking Eamon and the others would find a way to free them, given time. They'd removed his armor, leaving him in his undershorts. He assumed they would treat Mirra similarly, tossing her in with him or another cell nearby. When they dragged her to a table and stripped her he realized his mistake. He should have made an effort to escape. He banged the door and yelled at them to no avail.

A lot became clear when he deciphered the word burned into her chest. Why she treated men with such disdain, and held women in such high regard. Why Leliana turned everyone away at the Urn of Sacred ashes. Why Mirra insisted Wynne heal her through her clothes. He couldn't imagine when the event occurred, but he knew it wasn't while she was a Grey Warden. He thought it might have been part of what forced her into the Grey Wardens. He briefly considered that it might have something to do with her inclination to women, but decided not to dwell on it. These men were going to take advantage of her while she was unconscious. It was reprehensible.

He almost cheered when she woke up and slaughtered them all, but thought better of it.

Alistair watched as Mirra searched the bodies. She moved stiffly. He decided silence was his best option. Finally finding a key she walked over to his cell. He averted his eyes from her blood-soaked nude body. She unlocked the cell and stood in the door.

"Did they do... anything...to me?" She asked, looking at the floor.

"They touched you, that's all." He said.

"You swear?" She still didn't look at him.

"I swear on Andraste." He said. She nodded, moving out of his way.

"Let's get you something to wear." Alistair said, rushing to find a smock or drape or something. He tried to offer her something off one of the men, but she wouldn't go near it.

"I can still feel their hands on me." She said.

Eventually he found a torn dress that probably belonged to some other prisoner. It was somewhat long, but she could move around in it fairly well. Alistair put on a set of armor from one of the guards, taking a sword and shield from them as well. Mirra found a huge hammer hung on the wall. She was still moving mechanically, and he hoped she wouldn't have trouble fighting. Thus clad they opened the door to the next room.

They were rushed by a couple guards and a pair of mabari. With Alistair keeping their attention Mirra was easily able to crush them. She put some armor from the guards over the dress. Apparently their armor didn't have the same stigma as the guards who abused her.

Next there was a hallway with doors off to each side. First door to the right they found the armory. A few guards were looking over some items on a table. Alistair just registered the fact that it was their armor before Mirra ran past him, raising her hammer high. He quickly recovered himself and followed her, getting in a few shots before she decimated the group.

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Morrigan watched Leliana peer around a corner and let an arrow fly. Another Fort Drakon guard went down. Morrigan knew their current group was not ideal. No warriors meant they had to do a lot of sneaking, waiting for mana, and retreating. Leliana and Zevran could handle one or two guards each, but any more and they had trouble. Morrigan set the pace, waiting for her spells to power up before moving forward. Her mind blast saved them more than once.

Zevran faded into the shadows again, scouting ahead of them. They already cleared the training room, and a small room after that. Now they were in a hallway with multiple exits.

Zevran returned after a few minutes. "To the right is the dungeon, but there's no one in there. Several recently dead bodies, though. I would guess Mirra and Alistair escaped, and are around here somewhere." Just then they heard fighting from a door across the hall. They followed the noise to see Mirra slam down a huge hammer on a guard's head. Alistair was with her.

"That's what I like to see." Zevran said. Mirra faced them and Morrigan recognized animal rage on her blood soaked face. Leliana visibly stiffened. Something had driven Mirra past the point of reason. Morrigan hoped it wasn't a permanent change. It was unpleasant to think about coming this far only lose Mirra now. Mirra dropped her hammer and her face glazed over, showing no emotion at all. She turned back to a table and started pulling off her armor, followed by a ratty dress. She was pulling pieces of her armor off a table. Morrigan leaned against a wall and observed. She knew something was clearly not right when Mirra stripped naked before putting her own clothes and armor back on. Alistair ran over to them.

"They did things to her, while I was locked up." Alistair said. "She's not...feeling well."

"What kinds of things?" Leliana asked.

"I'll tell you later. Just leave her alone for now." Alistair told her.

"What did they do to her?" Leliana demanded.

"I'll tell you...later." He looked back at Mirra. "We need to get out of here." He ran back and started changing into his own armor. Mirra walked to them and stopped just out of arms reach. Morrigan could see the fear in Leliana's eyes. She couldn't take the raw emotion, and occupied herself with wiping blood off her skirt. She could guess what had happened, but didn't want to think about it. She saw Leliana start to step towards Mirra and motioned her to stop. Mirra saw the movement.

"Don't touch me, please. I need to wash it off...wash them off." She was staring at a wall. Leliana's eyes were wet with worry. Morrigan turned towards the door. Alistair returned in his armor.

"Zevran, I would prefer if we wouldn't have to fight our way back out." Morrigan said.

"Your wish is my command." He said, without his normal teasing lilt. The situation had pulled all the joy out of them.

They ran back through the training room to the entrance area. They turned a corner to find a waiting area of sorts. Up a wall was a barred window. Morrigan froze the bars, then motioned Alistair towards them. He hit them with a mace and they shattered out onto the street. They crawled out to the street below.

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Mirra was like a tranquil as Leliana undressed her. Eamon had kindly moved them to a suite with a bathroom and huge tub. Leliana filled the tub and was getting Mirra ready. Since their escape from the fort Mirra hadn't said more than a few words. She pulled off the last of her underthings and helped her into the tub.

Alistair told her about her abuse and escape from the guards in the dungeon. She was happy the bastards hadn't actually raped Mirra, but she knew there would still be trauma. Mirra would need tenderness and patience. It might be a while before she would feel comfortable with intimate contact. It was a good sign that she was allowing her to bathe her.

Leliana's anger built when she heard Alistair's story. The manner in which Mirra's unconscious body was stripped and abused without the least complaint from any of the participants was ample evidence of their depravity. Even prisoners sentenced to death did not deserve such treatment. And the thought that they would treat her Mirra in such a manner was enough to drive Leliana insane.

She recalled her own experience in the Orlesian prison, remembering how she mentally detached herself in order to withstand the physical pain and degradation. Mirra wasn't tortured as extensively as her, but the 'men abusing women' theme was still there. How any man could commit the atrocities without sleeping again was beyond her.

Alistair admitted he had seen Mirra's horrific scar, but since Mirra knew, she didn't think much would come of it. She did make him swear never to tell anyone else.

Leliana used a sponge to carefully scrub Mirra clean, and did her best to soothe the pain. Wynne healed Mirra's jaw when she entered the estate, but the mental wounding would take time. The blood was gone, and now she could see the bruising. The men had been more cruel than Leliana thought.

"Stop." Mirra said, still staring blankly towards a wall. "Use your hand, please. I want to feel...kindness...tenderness."

Leliana dropped the sponge and started gently stroking Mirra's body. She resisted the urge to touch any of her sensual spots, and concentrated on showing her how much she loved all of her. Mirra started crying. Leliana undressed and slid behind her in the tub, wrapping her in a warm embrace.

"It's just not fair." Mirra said.

"No. It isn't fair." Leliana agreed.

"I was having a dream, and I thought it was you, when they first started touching me." Leliana hugged her tightly, not knowing what to say. "Then they grew rough. I knew it wasn't you. And Alistair was saying something. I knew I wouldn't dream about Alistair."

Leliana quenched the urge to giggle. She stroked Mirra's arms softly, allowing her to tell the story at her own pace.

"The man between my legs had his member in hand, and was just about to stick it in when I woke up." Leliana stopped stroking, just holding her tight. "I grabbed his balls and crushed them in my hand. Before he collapsed I broke his nose." Leliana was mentally cheering. "The rest grabbed me. I got a sword off one of them and it was over just a few seconds later." Leliana couldn't have been prouder. She hugged Mirra tightly.

"Alistair saw my scar." Mirra stated as a matter of fact.

"Of all the males in Ferelden, he's least likely to take advantage." She decided to say.

"I know." Mirra said. They embraced in the bath until the water was cold.

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The next morning Leliana woke to find Mirra facing away from her, strapping on her armor. She pulled off the covers and got up. Mirra turned and Leliana was relieved to see the loving gaze that was absent the day before. She wrapped her arms around Mirra and gave her a long kiss. Mirra stroked her hands over her naked back, down over her behind.

"Tonight, Leliana." Mirra told her, pulling Leliana against her. Leliana thought Mirra's armor felt unusual against her naked skin.

"When you're ready, Mirra." Mirra kissed her neck as she ran her tongue over her ear.

"Tonight." Mirra said into her neck. Eventually she pulled away, eyes roaming over her body. "Get dressed, my love. Today I introduce you to my father."

"What should I wear?" Leliana asked.

"Armor. Zevran tells me Tevinter slavers have taken over the Alienage."

"So it shall be an exciting day." Leliana said with a smile.

"Indeed it shall. And for some reason I'm more nervous about talking to my father." Mirra said.

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Mirra knocked on her old family home after only a brief hesitation. She heard movement inside, but no one opened the door.

"Father?" She called out after a few moments. "Are you home?"

There was a loud clatter from inside the house, then the door was whipped open.

"Cousin!" Mirra saw a glimpse of red hair before Shianni threw herself at her. She heard her group tense up. As she hugged her Soris appeared in the doorway.

"Mirra! You returned!" Soris said with a smile. Everyone behind her relaxed.

Shianni eventually released her. "And you brought friends." She looked behind her at her motley group.

"Shianni, it's good to see you. I'll introduce my friends in a minute. Where's father?" Mirra asked.

"You should get inside." Soris said. "Things have gone to hell since your wedding." Mirra winced. _Oh no._ Mirra glared at her cousins.

"Your wedding?!" Leliana exclaimed from behind her. Mirra turned to look at her.

"My arranged wedding was interrupted," Mirra emphasized the word 'arranged'. "and my doubly unlucky groom was killed while we were in the Arl's estate."

"I apologize Mirra." Leliana said.

"We'll discuss it later." Mirra said with a smile. She turned back to see both her cousins looking between her and Leliana, grins growing on their faces. Mirra's smile vanished. "Shall we go inside?" She said firmly.

"Oh yes, we shall." Shianni and Soris opened the door wide with their grins still in place. Sten chose to stay outside. Shale was going to join him, but Mirra thought there might be trouble with a huge flaming rock monster outside...more so than a qunari, anyway. Rex seemed to know this was home and joined Sten outside for guard duty.

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"Valendrian was taken a month ago, and your father took over as Alienage elder." Shianni told Mirra. Leliana held her hand under the table. Mirra killed all rumination about her and Leliana by introducing her as "my beloved Leliana." Leliana was shocked at the forward nature of the comment, but it did limit questions.

"Last week he started making inquiries about the 'plague victims'," Shianni made air quotes. "And yesterday he was taken into the Tevinter house."

"Zevran saw them take some elves from the back of the house to some apartments last week." Mirra said. Shianni looked appreciatively to the blond elf, who was gazing at her lustfully. Mirra shook her head before punching Zevran in the shoulder. He looked affronted for several seconds before giving her a crooked smile. Mirra turned to her cousin. "We will stop this, right now." She stood up. "Come on, Alistair. We've got some slavers to slay." Alistair nodded to her and shook hands with Soris, whom he was talking to.

The group went to the center of the Alienage, where the Tevinters were standing at the head of a line of elves.

"Move aside, I'm going in." Mirra said.

"No one goes in..." The head Tevinter glanced at her, then looked more closely. Her group was bristling with weapons, and Shale stood like a flaming pillar behind her.

"I am going in." Mirra said with emphasis.

The guards at the door drew their weapons, and the head Tevinter pulled his staff from his back.

"Take cover, elves!" Mirra called out to the crowd, perhaps needlessly. Morrigan shot a fireball at the two guards at the door and everyone scattered. The head Tevinter started a spell, but was cut off by an arrow through his chest. There were a couple more mages, and several guards with swords. They didn't stand a chance against Mirra's group. The last was bleeding on the ground in a few moments, and Shianni rejoined them.

"Wow cousin!" Shianni said, hopping over fire scorches and bloody heaps. "You were amazing before, and you're even more amazing now."

"I'm going inside, you wait here." Mirra said, walking to the door. Zevran was waiting with a key in his hand.

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Mirra released the elves in the building, directing them to leave through the front of the building. Her father wasn't there, but the other elves let her know he was moved out of the building earlier that day. Paperwork in the building made it even more clear that slavers were at work. There was a Tevinter request for quantities of elves of each sex and a delivery date. Mirra fumed.

They left through the back door, sending an elven guard running. The trail of the slavers led them through an apartment building to another building. They quickly found themselves face to face with a female elf carrying a bow, and several more Tevinters with unusual serrated swords.

"Who are you? It isn't time for another shipment." She said.

Mirra glanced at her crew, Shale and Sten standing out like sore thumbs. "You think I would help slavers?" She said, glaring at the elf.

"We have disposition from the regent." The elf said.

"Good. That will be useful evidence. Prepare to die." Mirra said, pulling her axe off her back.

The elf leapt away from Mirra's axe and ran through a doorway. Mirra switched targets to a couple warriors who were threatening Wynne, knocking one to his back. She saw Zevran disarming a trap in the doorway, and decided to save the elf for later. She took an overhead swing, smashing a warrior into the ground.

A sharp pain lanced her side. She looked down to see an arrow piercing a seam in her armor. _Damn elf!_ In a fit of rage she ripped it out of her side. The intense pain made her regret the decision.

"Urgg." She said wavering slightly, then took off towards the elf, leaping over Zevran through the doorway. Her first swing missed and the elf ran out of reach to a corner. Mirra maintained the pursuit and ran at the elf, axe raised. The elf got off one more arrow before Mirra brought her axe down on her shoulder, crushing her collarbone. Her bow clattered to the floor. The elf pulled out a knife which Mirra grabbed out of her hand.

"How dare you help slavers!" Mirra said, slashing the knife through her neck, spraying herself with blood. She stood, finally noticing the arrow in her stomach. "Damn." She looked around to see Sten smash the last Tevinter into a wall. To save possible re-healing around the arrow she took ahold of the shaft and yanked it out. She coughed at the pain, leaning against the wall. She left the corner and hobbled back towards Wynne, hand over her wounds.

"Mirra, are you done hurting yourself?" Wynne asked, knowing exactly what she had done.

"Yes mother...think you could heal me, please?" Mirra said, blood seeping between her fingers. Leliana gave Wynne a glare worthy of Morrigan. The warmth came and the blood stopped.

Everyone was healed and they proceeded to the door at the back of the room.

"Mage, Mirra." Alistair said.

Mirra nodded to him. "Everyone ready to meet the bastard running this organization?" She looked to Morrigan, who gave her a nod.

Morrigan was last to enter the large room. They were on a raised platform along one wall. A railing separated them from the main floor. Some captured elves were in cages along one wall. There were several Tevinters with their unusual saw-like blades, several archers, and one Mage in the middle, who spoke to them.

"I see we have visitors. You must be the Grey Wardens I've heard so much about." He said, walking to the center of the room. Morrigan could feel his power from across the room.

"And you must be the slaver abducting free elves." Mirra said, pulling her axe from her back.

"I see we will not be able to converse civilly." He said, grabbing his staff. Morrigan started the spell to drain his mana.

Several Tevinters ran up the stairs towards them. Mirra and Shale immediately engaged them. Morrigan's spell hit the Mage the same instant Leliana shot an arrow into him. Morrigan knew something was wrong when he kneeled briefly, but did not fall. He yanked the arrow from his chest, then she felt a rush of power and one of the elves screamed. Blood leached out of his eyes, ears, and mouth, pouring through the air towards the Mage, who stood up, fully healed.

"Blood Mage, Mirra!" Morrigan exclaimed, sending bolts from her staff while waiting for her spells to become available. Mirra flattened her attacker before leaping the railing towards the Mage. Morrigan sent a huge firestorm to the middle of the room, knowing Mirra was partially immune, Shale was entirely immune, and Oghren...well, Morrigan didn't worry much about Oghren. The Mage was taking immense damage.

Morrigan felt him start another spell. "Mirra! Now!" Mirra smacked him with her axe handle, stopping the spell. The Mage quickly froze Mirra, then started the spell again. Morrigan countered by freezing him. She looked over to see Leliana lining up a shot. The rest of the Tevinters were down. The Mage unfroze right as Leliana pierced his shoulder.

"Wait! Wait..." He said. "I yield." He was kneeling with a hand around the arrow in his shoulder. Morrigan didn't trust this, and readied herself to drain his mana yet again.

"You think I'm going to let you live?! After what you've done?" Mirra exclaimed, her axe at the ready.

"I could help you. I could use the life energy of these elves to permanently boost your power." He waved his arm towards the cages.

"You think I'd let you hurt another elf, blood Mage? Are you insane?" Mirra said, shaking her head. Morrigan started the incantation to destroy his mana. _Surely he's recovered it by now._

"Very well." He said, standing up. He brought his hands together to start a spell, but got no further. The spell fizzled as Morrigan's spell hit. Soon after Leliana pierced his eye with an arrow. He crumpled to the floor.

Mirra ran to one of the cages and smashed the lock. She opened the door and drew out an older man, hugging him. _That must be her father._ Morrigan considered for a moment. _They took him as a punishment, no one wants a slave that old. _They broke open the rest of the cages and released the elves to return to their homes.

"My daughter, it is good to see you alive." The old man told Mirra.

"I'm just glad we reached you in time, father."

"You've turned into quite the warrior." The old man said, looking around at the bodies.

"Come father, let's get home. We have much to discuss."

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After Mirra introduced the rest of her group to her father and cousins, she let most of her crew return to the Arl's estate. Leliana remained. She gave Soris and Shianni a few silvers to get them out of the house, and sat down at the table with her father. Leliana didn't really know how much was to be revealed, so she didn't sit too close.

"Father, do you remember how much I resisted the arranged marriage?" Mirra asked after he updated her on the events during the last few months.

"Yes." He glanced at Leliana in confusion, perhaps wondering why she was there. "I realize you didn't like the idea of marrying someone you barely knew..." He started.

"It wasn't that." Mirra cut in. "It wasn't that I didn't know him, it was that he was a him."

"I can arrange for some suitors to visit..." He started, then stopped. Mirra held her hand towards Leliana, who took it in her hand. He looked at it for a moment. It finally hit him. "Oh..."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before." Mirra looked guiltily at the table for a moment. Leliana circled her thumb over Mirra's hand.

"I see...and you are Mirra's..." He said to Leliana.

"Girlfriend." Leliana said, not entirely sure it was the absolutely correct term. 'Lover' seemed crass for a discussion with a parent. "I'm Leliana, lest you have forgotten."

"You are a vision, my dear. My daughter has good taste." He told her.

_Mirra's father is such a flatterer._ "You're too kind Ser. I still believe I got the better end of the deal. You raised a wonderful daughter." Mirra raised an eyebrow at her.

Mirra's father returned to look at her. "I wish you'd told me sooner, I can't stand the thought of you in a loveless marriage." He said.

"I know, father." Mirra said. "I didn't want to disappoint you. I know how you love kids. I thought you'd be miserable without grand kids."

"You could always...adopt." He said, with a hopeful glint in his eyes. Leliana couldn't help but chuckle.

"Maybe someday, father." Mirra shook her head smiling. "I do have a Blight to defeat, after all."

Leliana spent the rest of the afternoon with Mirra and her father, telling heroic stories about his daughter, leaving out any harm that came to her. Mirra had her head in her hands at several points. He laughed enthusiastically. Leliana was betting he had few opportunities to laugh since Mirra was taken away. Mirra showed him her axe, then brought in Rex for a slobbery introduction. After dark Mirra said they had to return to the estate, and handed her father several gold pieces. He was stunned.

"This is more than I spend in a year." He stared at the money in his hand.

"Keep it somewhere safe, father." Mirra said, folding his fingers over the coins.

He looked up at them with tears starting to form. "Your mother would be so proud."

"Oh father." Mirra said, clutching Leliana's hand tightly.

"You are obviously very much in love. I don't know if you value an old elf's opinion, but you have my blessing." He told them.

"Father!" Mirra exclaimed, leaping towards him for a hug that almost knocked him over.

Once Mirra released her father Leliana embraced him, rather more gently. "Thank you, Ser. I will take care of her." He nodded, obviously concerned.

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"You want me to keep you as queen? Why would I agree to that?" Mirra was speaking with Anora in her room at Eamon's estate. Anora was trying to make her case to retain her throne.

"You need a strong leader," Anora told her, "However decent Alistair is, he is not a leader. Everyone can see it. Look at your own group, does he not follow you?"

"You are suggesting you are a better leader? You didn't know your father sold the Alienage to slavers?!" Mirra told her in exasperation.

"When all your advisors consider your father the king, they ignore your inquiries. Also, my father's atrocity in the Alienage was a recent development. You must believe I would stop it if I knew." She said apologetically. Mirra was not so sure. Those who grow up in the lap of luxury tend to view themselves as above the common folk. The elves in the Alienage are very much the common folk.

"And what of your father?" Mirra asked. "He has committed a great number of crimes, most of which call for death."

"I would prefer he live, but I realize justice must be done. I will leave his fate in your capable hands." Anora told her. Mirra looked at her closely.

"You might be good at running a country, but I'm not sure you lead any better than Alistair." Mirra said. "I met your husband, he wasn't any more intelligent than Alistair, and his leadership consisted of looking impressive in his shiny armor, a dismaying trait your father has taken up since becoming regent. At the very least, Alistair will treat people with respect."

"For years I ruled Ferelden while Cailan did all the posturing and fighting, all the bannorns knew it. I know what it takes to rule the kingdom." Anora said.

"And yet you lack the strength to keep it when your general betrays you. If only there was a way to combine your talents." Mirra thought out loud.

"Surely you are not suggesting that I join forces with Alistair, in other words, marry him?" Anora seemed flustered.

"I hadn't thought of that, but it's a good idea. You would be hard pressed to find a more competent fighter to protect you, and he's more loyal than a puppy." Mirra told her with conviction.

"Aside from the fact that he looks so similar to my newly deceased husband, does he even want to marry me? I was under the impression that he did not desire the throne." Anora told her.

"I believe he could be convinced, as long as he had support from competent advisors." Mirra said.

"And you? He seems to only have eyes for you when you are around."

Mirra laughed. "It doesn't matter. I'm already spoken for, and he knows it."

"I see. Very well. If you convince him to marry me so I remain queen, I will support you in the Landsmeet." Anora said. Mirra nodded and left to find Alistair.

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"What? No! I already told you Anora can have it!" Alistair told Mirra.

"And I already told you, Anora is good enough at ruling and politics, but not so good at protecting her country or keeping herself from being locked away. She needs a good fighter at her side. You are a good fighter. I also think she could use a down to earth person to temper her noble upbringing. Someone who's seen the misery of the common folk, and will fight for them."

"And what I want does not matter?" He said.

"Not if you want Logain punished. What would Cailan do? Or Duncan?" Mirra asked, feeling a little bit guilty for bringing up Duncan. Alistair seemed to wither a little. "For what it's worth, I think you'll make a great king. Anora can take care of the complicated politics, you can make sure the common folk are treated properly."

"And I have to marry her?" Alistair seemed resigned to his fate as king. Mirra thought it was charming that he didn't associate it with being married.

"Yes, that is the only way you can rule together." She clapped him on the shoulder with a smile. "However, you would be king. From what I understand monogamy rules are pretty loose for the king."

"Oh all right." He shuffled his feet. "You can tell her I'll marry her. I'm just going to the wall over there to bang my head against it."

"You'll be a great king, Alistair. Eamon will help you, and I'll help when I'm around."

"You better." He said with a groan.

Mirra rushed to let Anora know.

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"You really convinced Alistair to become king, and to marry Anora?" Leliana asked. "You do work wonders."

"Mmmmm." Mirra sighed in pleasure. Leliana could tell she wasn't listening any more. She smiled to herself, and poured more oil on Mirra's back. Leliana was baffled that she hadn't given Mirra a massage before now. _I guess the sex was so wonderful I didn't think about it. _She continued to work the kinks out of Mirra's back, sitting astride her very alluring backside. She should probably hurry up before Mirra fell asleep. After spending most of the day with Mirra's father, then spending an hour or so with Nora and Catherine, then waiting patiently as Mirra negotiated with the future king and queen, it had been a very long day. _Maybe I should find a way to keep her awake..._ She slid down Mirra's legs and started to knead her buttocks. Mirra groaned in pleasure at her manipulation of her large muscles. Finishing that she slid further down and started massaging her upper leg, sliding her hand between Mirra's thighs. She grinned as Mirra spread her legs slightly.

"You work wonders, Leliana." Mirra said in barely a whisper. Leliana grinned further, rubbing her hands up and down Mirra's leg, inching closer to her glistening lips with every stroke. She gave them the lightest of touches before switching to her other leg. Mirra moaned in pleasurable frustration, spreading her legs even further. Leliana couldn't help but see how wet she was. She sat herself down on Mirra's leg, rubbing herself against her calf. She noticed she was pretty wet as well.

She continued rubbing Mirra's leg, again stopping just short of her dripping lips.

"Leliana, please." Mirra said, breathing hard. Leliana smiled knowingly.

"As you wish, love." She repositioned herself to Mirra's side and applied more oil to her hand. Leliana pulled Mirra up onto her knees for easier access. Mirra did not complain. Leliana could not resist her most unladylike pose, and kissed a cheek. She started tenderly stroking Mirra with her fingers between her inner and outer lips. Mirra pushed herself against her hand as she brushed her clitoris. She circled it a bit before continuing her strokes. Mirra was panting.

Leliana added a third finger, sliding just barely inside and briefly touching Mirra's clit with each stroke.

"Leliana..." Mirra breathed her name out, still pushing back against her hand. Leliana smiled and reached her other hand under Mirra to directly tease her clit. She dipped the fingers of her other hand in, finding Mirra well lubricated. Leliana slid her fingers in deeper and drew a gasp from Mirra. Leliana started a gentle rhythm, slowly working Mirra up. Occasionally she would reach in and down to stroke Mirra's internal pleasure spot. Soon Mirra stopped trying to speak. Her heavy breathing filled the room. Her orgasm racked her body shortly after. Leliana circled her clit and plunged her fingers in until the jolts subsided. Mirra collapsed to the bed.

Mirra rolled to her side and reached for Leliana, who lay beside her on the bed. Mirra wrapped herself around her and nuzzled into her hair. She kissed Leliana's neck.

"Love you, Leliana." She said. Leliana held her close as she fell asleep almost immediately.


	13. Chapter 13

Marked with Shame

Chapter 13

Bioware owns rights to all characters.

"Warden, I will not allow you to desecrate the Landsmeet." Ser Cauthrian, Logain's second in command met them in the entrance of the assembly hall. Her black hair was tied back into a ponytail, and she held her massive sword at the ready. Several troops were clustered around the foyer.

"No?" Mirra gave her a glare.

"And Alistair. If you were worthy of the kingship you would already be in there." Cauthrian said. _Since when is punctuality required for the king?_

"You allowed Logain to abandon the king to the darkspawn. You allowed Howe to imprison the queen. You set me up to be raped in the dungeon at Fort Drakon. You are not worthy of your title, Ser." Mirra said the last bit with a sneer. She pulled her axe from her back.

Cauthrian seemed perplexed for a minute, "I didn't set you up..." Then paused, perhaps realizing she chose her side long ago, wrong or right. "Do not let them them enter!"

Mirra ducked under Cauthrian's sword and slammed her against a pillar. The rest of her group handled the troops, keeping them away.

"How could you let Logain pull his troops from the king?" Mirra yelled into her face, pinning her sword with her axe.

Cauthrian pushed her away. "My duty is first to my lord, not the King." She took a swing that Mirra ducked under. Mirra took a low swing Cauthrian jumped over.

"Sounds like treason. What do you think, Alistair?" Mirra called out, smacking Cauthrian back with her axe handle.

"Sounds like it to me, Mirra." Alistair was blocking a pair of troops going after Morrigan. Mirra blocked a blow with her axe, then pushed Cauthrian back against the pillar with a crash of armor.

Mirra held her axe handle against Cauthrian's sword, pushing it into her chest. "So, does that mean the dungeon...or death?" Mirra asked, staring straight into her face. Cauthrian struggled against the elf, desperate to free herself.

"I'm pretty sure it calls for death, Mirra." Alistair smacked his target with his shield, knocking him to the floor.

"Oh well. Sorry, Ser." She sneered the last part once again.

"No!" Cauthrian said, genuine fear in her voice now. She was straining against Mirra, who had hooked her axe around her sword. Cauthrian flattened her sword and tried to pull it out of Mirra's lock to no avail.

"Morrigan? Assist please?" Mirra said.

"Certainly, Mirra." Morrigan responded.

Mirra jumped back as Cauthrian was frozen solid. Face contorted into a scream, sword still flat across her chest. Mirra swung her axe overhead in a huge blow that smashed the woman's head. The rest of her body collapsed into a heap on the floor.

Mirra looked around to see the rest of Cauthrian's soldiers in similar though less frozen heaps.

"Thank you, Morrigan." She nodded to the witch before turning to Alistair. "Ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." He answered with a sigh.

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The Landsmeet went pretty much as Mirra expected. Logain claimed they were being bribed by Orlais, and insinuated Eamon was trying to put Alistair on the throne for his own benefit. With the evidence about the Alienage, the imprisoned Templar, and Bann Sighard's tortured son, the Landsmeet should have been an easy vote. Unfortunately, one idiot still voted for Logain, forcing someone to duel Logain for the throne. Mirra considered an iconic battle between Logain and Alistair, but didn't know exactly how good Logain was. It would be horrible to lose Alistair for an epic king versus king battle.

"I will duel you myself." She said, pulling her axe off her back and giving it a spin in her hands.

"That seems right. It is you or I who the men will follow, after all." Logain said, actually giving her a smile. Everyone around them backed away.

They circled for a moment within the silent crowd, both watching for some weakness or flaw. Suddenly Logain burst forward, smacking his sword against Mirra's arm as she hit his shield with her axe. She was surprised at his blow. He had some strength, for an older man. Then he surprised her again by letting out a huge roar, the force of it pushing her backward. She dodged a swing of his shield, then smashed her axe into it again. She circled him quickly, staying away from his shield. She still remembered being knocked out by Branka. He took another swipe at her. Though she blocked it with her forearm, it stung. She took another huge swing over her head, but he blocked it with his shield.

She circled him again. Her quickness was the only thing keeping her from falling to the ground. He took another swing that she ducked. His shield made contact with her shoulder, spinning her around. She rolled away instinctively, and his sword narrowly missed her leg. He blocked a swing of her axe before swiping at her leg again. She rolled away.

She was beginning to feel the battle would be lost by who tired first, and she was moving a lot more than he was. Then she saw it; Logain's shield was cracked. The small glint was barely visible, but it gave her hope. She danced away from his sword, again swinging her axe into his shield with incredible force. Logain had to suspect something. She wasn't even trying to miss his shield. She blocked another sword blow and swung her axe into his shield again. He answered it with a shield blow to her face. She staggered backward, dazed for a second. He yelled again, knocking her to the floor.

His sword clashed into the stone floor, narrowly missing her as she rolled out of the way. She whipped a leg out knocking him onto the floor next to her. She hopped up, swinging her axe down on him as he scrambled to right himself. He got his shield up in the nick of time, but the inevitable occurred. The shield couldn't take the beating and split in half, each half clattering across the floor. Logain stared at his arm in disbelief. The consummate soldier, he quickly got back to his feet and resumed fighting stance. He didn't seem to know what to do with his offhand arm.

Mirra smacked his sword hand with her axe handle. He grunted with the blow, and fear started to seep into his eyes. He let out another yell, pushing Mirra back a bit. She feigned a blow to his shield arm, pushing the attack low. He tried to block with his arm, but he wasn't used to fighting without a shield, he didn't reach low enough. Her axe split the seam at his knee and he fell to the ground with a howl. Blood shot out of his leg, which was bent at an impossible angle. Anora let out a shriek. Mirra didn't give him a chance to recover, swinging her axe down between his helmet and shoulder. He stopped howling. She yanked her axe out and he fell to the floor. Anora dropped to her knees next to her father. A pool of blood formed around him.

Once the body was removed Mirra took Alistair aside.

"You're going to be king, and you're going to be great. Follow your gut and you'll be fine. Eamon and I will help you." Mirra told him. He looked a little green, but he nodded to her with a firm jaw.

"So, it is decided. Alistair will be king." Eamon announced.

"With Anora as queen." Mirra added.

Eamon looked between Anora, Mirra, and Alistair. "With Anora as queen?"

"They both agreed to the arrangement." Mirra told him.

"Yes, we did." Anora said. "Though if Alistair does not wish for it..."

"I have agreed." Alistair looked at her. "For Ferelden we will stand united against the Blight."

Alistair gave a good speech, all things considered. Mirra didn't hear many speeches in the Alienage, but he covered all the important points without stuttering too much. Anora would stay in Denerim and rule until he returned to rule jointly with her. Mirra and the rest of her crew would join him on a trip to Redcliffe, where Riordan said the darkspawn were headed.

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Their journey to Redcliffe was fraught with darkspawn attacks. When they reached the castle on the red cliff, they discovered the darkspawn had tricked them. There was a small darkspawn group attacking Redcliffe, but the main horde of the darkspawn, including the newly appeared archdemon, were on their way to Denerim. Mirra and her group would stay in the castle for one night, then return to the Capitol. Before they retired for the night, Riordan asked Mirra and Alistair to join him in his room.

"I see, so you have not been made aware." Riordan said in his Orlesian accent. He asked if they knew why the grey wardens were needed to defeat the archdemon. They did not know. Duncan did not have time to train them fully. "If the archdemon is slain by someone other than a grey warden, the archdemon's soul will transfer to the nearest darkspawn and be reborn."

"It's remarkable they ever defeated the first one." Mirra commented. "So why does being a grey warden keep that from happening?"

"The soul follows the taint in the grey warden." Riordan answered.

"That doesn't sound healthy for the warden." Mirra said.

"It is fatal." Riordan said. Mirra glanced at Alistair briefly. His shocked expression told her he didn't know this either. "Since I am the eldest it should be me making the final blow."

"I see..." Mirra said.

"It is unfortunate you were not already informed." Riordan told them, sadness showing on his face. They left and headed to their rooms in silence. Mirra thought to herself. _I can't let Alistair die, if it comes to that. He's the king. I'm...nothing. Leliana will be devastated, but she can find someone else. She's beautiful._

She entered her room to see Leliana in nude repose. She marveled at the graceful human that had captured her heart, drawing her eyes over the redhead's exquisite form. Leliana opened her eyes and languidly motioned for her to join her in bed.

"My darling, I feel I must tell you some things..." Mirra trailed off. Leliana drew herself into a seated position.

"What about?" She asked.

"There are some details about being a grey warden that I haven't told you, some of which I was only just informed." Leliana held out her hand and pulled Mirra into a seated position next to her.

"Go on." She said.

"Apparently I will only live thirty or forty more years, assuming I live through this at all." Mirra twisted her hands in her lap.

"I see..." She took Mirra's hand into her own. "Anything else?"

"Yes. Apparently whoever slays the archdemon dies. Riordan volunteered to take the final blow..." Mirra trailed off.

"But with your habit of always being in the right place at the right time..." Leliana said, looking down with wet eyes.

"If Riordan fails, or dies somehow...I can't let Alistair take the final blow. He's the King!"

"Mirra...I don't want to lose you." Leliana starts, realizing what she meant.

"It has to be, love." Mirra said, pulling her into a tight embrace.

Leliana felt her eyes start to drip. "There has to be another way."

"I wish there was, Leliana." Mirra kissed her head. "I really do."

A knock on the door startled them.

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Morrigan approached Mirra's room slowly, pondering the proposal she must make. This was her destiny. She had to make it undeniable.

Upon nearing the room she heard crying within. _Mirra told Leliana already._ Morrigan knocked loudly on the door. The voices stopped, but no one opened the door.

"Mirra, 'tis Morrigan. I need to discuss a matter of the utmost importance." Morrigan said through the door. There was movement within for a minute. The door opened to show Mirra. Leliana was beyond in a robe. Her eyes were red. "I apologize for the interruption."

"What is it, Morrigan?"

"'Tis paramount that we speak privately, Mirra." Morrigan mustered a smile to put Mirra at ease. Mirra was taken aback.

"I...um...ok." Mirra looked back to Leliana. "I will return, my love." Leliana nodded and sat down on the bed. Morrigan led Mirra to her room.

"I have the solution to your problem." Morrigan decided to stick with what she could do for Mirra, rather than what she wanted.

"My problem? Which one? I seem to be overflowing with problems at the moment." Mirra looked at her with a confused expression.

"I know you will not allow Alistair to take the final blow." Morrigan did not feel the need to elaborate. Mirra processed the thought for a moment.

"How do you know about..." Mirra started, then pursed her lips and looked skeptical. "How will you solve my problem?"

"I have a way to let you live through the archdemon battle."

"If I live..." Mirra said fatalistically.

"You have a habit of living through the most harrowing battles. You will survive this...let me help you live out your days with Leliana." The obvious dig at Mirra felt like hypocrisy, but Morrigan thought she handled it gracefully. She forced her face to show no emotion.

"How?" Mirra asked, looking at her carefully. "How will you keep me from dying?"

_Now the complicated part._ "Convince Alistair to lie with me tonight. A child will be conceived." Mirra started to say something. Morrigan did not let her interrupt. "When you kill the archdemon the soul will be drawn to the child, rather than into you. After the battle you will let me leave and never attempt to follow."

Mirra stared at her with her mouth open for a minute. Then she closed her mouth. Then opened it again. Then closed it again. Then she spoke. "There are so many things wrong with that statement, I hardly know where to begin." Morrigan stayed quiet. "First, you hate Alistair. Why would you want to conceive his child?" Mirra asked.

"'Twould not be his child. 'Twould be a child with the soul of an old god." Morrigan stated.

"And why would you want a child with the soul of an old god?" Mirra asked.

"'Tis not something you should dwell upon." Morrigan deflected. Mirra scrunched up her face at her, before letting it return to normal.

"Fine. The child would technically be heir to the throne..."

"I have no interest in politics." Morrigan assured her. Mirra studied her for longer than was typically acceptable.

"Is this the reason your mother sent you with us?" Mirra asked, raising one eyebrow.

"It is." Morrigan admitted. Mirra's expression changed to a glare.

"So you've faked friendship to get what you want. It's all been a lie."

_What? _Morrigan was taken aback. "Mirra, I assure you, I do not fake friendship." Morrigan told her. "'Twould be much easier to fake a friendship with Alistair to get what I want... as distasteful as that would be." Mirra seemed to realize the truth of the statement.

"So why don't you seduce him? Why bring me into it?" Mirra asked.

"As you might have noticed, my treatment of him has not been congenial, and I fear any attempts at seduction would prove fruitless without assistance." Morrigan told her. Mirra awarded her a smirk.

"Not exactly good planning on your part, Morrigan." Morrigan hung her head dramatically.

"Yes. 'Tis a shame you are not a man." Morrigan said.

"As if that wasn't the story of my life." Mirra smiled. She thought for a moment. "So...you need me to convince Alistair, who hates you and is actually afraid of you, to come here and have sex with you. And the only incentive that I have to convince him is your assurance that this ritual will keep whoever kills the archdemon alive. That about spell out my task?"

"'Tis as you say." Morrigan said, not entirely pleased with Mirra's blunt assessment of the situation.

"I see. And in return I get to live out my glorious thirty years or so with Leliana, instead of going the way of the martyr...assuming I live through this at all."

"Indeed." Morrigan said, giving what she hoped was an encouraging smile to Mirra.

Mirra shook her head. "That's a lot of ifs." She looked at Morrigan's face long enough that Morrigan looked away. "I'll see what I can do." She left.

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"Love...I have a question for you." Mirra told Leliana as she entered their room. Leliana looked up from her position on the bed, knowing her eyes were red. She'd been letting the tears fall since Mirra left with Morrigan. Leliana saw the conflict on her face as she stood.

"Tell me." Leliana drew her into her for an embrace.

Mirra spoke from the hollow between her breasts. "I might have a way to keep living after this ordeal, or at least another thirty years give or take. But it involves doing something morally questionable."

"Sounds like a lot of uncertainty." Leliana said leaning back to look at her face. "What does Morrigan want you to do?"

"She assures me that if I convince Alistair to join her...in bed, the tragedy that befalls all who kill the archdemon will not occur." Leliana opened and closed her mouth several times, not realizing how close she copied Mirra's own reaction to the information.

"She wants you to convince Alistair to have sex with her..." Leliana's shocked tone conveyed her disgust at the thought. "So that you won't die after you slay the archdemon."

"Yes." Mirra said, eyes downcast.

"As much as I find the prospect unpleasant...and heinous, I find the thought of life without you much more so." Leliana lifted Mirra's chin for a quick kiss, looking deep into her eyes. "Do you trust her?" Leliana knew weighing her feelings against Mirra's life was not an even trade.

Mirra looked back, then nodded. "Yes."

"It is disgusting, somewhat reprehensible, and I'm sure my view would change were it not for my personal stake in this, but if you believe Morrigan speaks the truth, then your path is clear. I feel sorry for Alistair, but this will potentially save his life as well."

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Later Mirra returned, stripping before curling into a ball next to Leliana. Neither of them spoke. Leliana did not attempt intimacy. She knew she was only reason Mirra helped the witch. Mirra would not hesitate to sacrifice herself for the good of Ferelden. Her self-sacrifice was one of the traits that made her so attractive. Leliana wrapped her arms around the elf and kissed the top of her head.

"Sleep, love." Leliana held her close until she drifted off.

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Mirra thought the non-stop march to Denerim was rough, but it was nothing compared to this. Slashing their way into the city through waves and waves of darkspawn was exhausting. Mirra was starting to believe even if she did reach the archdemon, she would be unable to lift her axe against it.

She leapt through the city gate and swept her axe through several darkspawn at once. Oghren and Sten performed similar attacks on each side. She noted the general weakness of the darkspawn they encountered.

"These darkspawn are weaker than most we've seen." She said.

"Maybe the archdemon brought all of them out of the tunnels, including those not strong enough to be a threat." Alistair said from her right.

"That is rumored in the archives." Riordan said from her left.

She paused to gaze over the city behind the gates. The night sky was lit up with fires. The few people she saw were actively fighting the darkspawn.

Alistair had given an inspiring speech before they approached the city. Mirra had only heard him practice the speech 37 times during their trek from Redcliffe. She had featured prominently in the speech, much to her chagrin. It took all her willpower to avoid rolling her eyes when he called her up on a platform in front of the troops. Soon after they were slashing their way through the horde.

"Let's go." She said, starting towards the nearest group of darkspawn, who had enough self-awareness to look nervous at their approach. Shale and Sten looked like towers next to the small elf in the lead, but she held her own in the fracas that followed. Their brute strength cleared the way for her to wipe out archers and rogues. Other groups nearby burst into flame as Morrigan thinned the darkspawn out.

In minutes the area past the gates was empty. Splashes of darkspawn blood were scattered around them. Mirra sat on a barrel while Leliana helped her wipe off some of the blood that covered her. Riordan and Alistair approached.

"We've progressed further than I hoped." Riordan told her. "There are a couple darkspawn generals that should be destroyed before we attempt the archdemon. One seems to be near the Alienage. I'm not sure about the other."

Mirra nodded. "I'll take care of them."

"I will head towards Ft. Drakon, where the archdemon seems to be circling. Some of your group will need to stay and guard the city gates."

Mirra was uncomfortable about splitting up the team, but quickly did some calculations in her head. Rex would never leave her side, and Leliana was not likely to either(though guarding the gates would be healthier than going after the generals). Morrigan and Zevran would probably prefer the gates, since they weren't likely to stick around afterwards. Mirra would like to leave Wynne behind, but her heals would be necessary against foes like the generals. Mirra got up to address her team. She would miss those she was leaving behind, but it was for the best.

"Alistair, Rex, Leliana, Wynne, and Shale, come with me. Morrigan, Sten, Oghren, and Zevran can stay here. Sten can lead the group here." Mirra said. Leliana put a hand on her shoulder.

"Let's do this!" Alistair exclaimed, walking off with Shale and Wynne.

"You do not wish me to accompany you?" Morrigan looked affronted. Most likely because Mirra was taking schoolmistress Wynne with her. Mirra gave her a crooked smile.

"I assumed you would prefer a position nearest the exit."

"I can make my escape from anywhere. You need me." Morrigan said.

"Morrigan, I wish I could take you with me. However, Zevran would die without someone beautiful to stare at." Morrigan narrowed her eyes at her. Mirra decided to give her a real reason. "The boys need some magical back-up. If they get paralyzed it's over for us." Morrigan's face softened before nodding.

"Ok, Mirra. I will do this for you."

"Thank you, Morrigan."

"'Tis not easy to admit, but when I started this journey, I did not expect to find anyone I could bear, much less enjoy their company. The past year has been enlightening, and I have new respect for at least some parts of the populace. 'Tis surprising, but even though you are an insufferable do-gooder, I will miss your companionship."

"Morrigan, I will miss you as well. Take care of yourself." Mirra told her with a smirk.

Morrigan smiled. "We part now, my friend. Live gloriously."

The rest of Sten's group gave her well wishes, excepting Sten, who simply asked if she was ready. Zevran repeated his offer of a threesome, which Mirra denied with a smile. He kissed her hand before heading to the gates.

"Where to, Mirra?" Alistair asked, standing next to Shale and Wynne. Rex was seated at Mirra's feet. Leliana stood next to her.

"The Alienage. Let's go get this general."

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There were a few darkspawn in the Alienage when they arrived. Mirra's crew tore through them. Mirra met her father and Shianni near the rear gate to the Alienage.

"Daughter, it is good to see you alive and well. And you, Leliana." If Mirra's father was shocked at the black blood coating her armor, he didn't show it.

"Father, return to your home and bar the door. Nail it shut if you need to." She said after giving him a quick hug. "Take Shianni and Soris with you." A large boom interrupted them.

"They're breaking through!" Shianni said. Mirra jogged closer to the gate. A huge ogre was trying to smash through the wooden barricade.

"Leliana?" Mirra said. Leliana sent an arrow through the cracks of the gate. A large howl erupted from the other side. The bangs stopped. Mirra turned back to Shianni. "Now, go with father, find Soris, and barricade yourselves in!" She pleaded. Shianni gave her a hug before dragging her father off. The loud bangs resumed.

There was a raised platform next to the huge gate. Mirra jogged to the top of the gate and looked over. Several darkspawn arrows wizzed past her ear as a greeting. She ducked down below part of the wall. Behind the ogre was a sea of darkspawn, including several mages. If she had to guess, the large Mage at the back of the group was the general. She waved Alistair, Shale, and Rex directly behind the gate. Then motioned Leliana and Wynne back behind them. "Take out the mages first." She told them.

The bangs against the barricade became more splintered as the wood began to give way. Mirra readied herself, looking back for a fond gaze on Leliana, who nodded before sending another arrow through the gate.

The gate broke inward with a crash. Darkspawn surged through the gate at her crew. Alistair and Shale quickly took up the battle, with Rex assisting where able.

Mirra waited for the slow plod of the ogre to bring it within the Alienage. Once it was past Mirra leapt from the platform, bring down her axe in a fierce blow to the ogre's shoulder. I howled in rage and whirled upon her. One arm appeared useless but it still made a grab for her with the other arm. Mirra dodged to the side, smashing her axe against its knee. Another howl was cut short. Mirra noticed an arrow extending from its neck before it toppled forward. She jumped out of the way to find herself surrounded by darkspawn. She threw her axe in another arc around herself, slaughtering all around her.

She was reminded of the ogre at Ostagar. That ogre almost killed her and Alistair. It was pure luck she managed to take it down before it crushed them all. This ogre was easy in comparison. She had been changed by this journey.

She turned to meet the rest of the darkspawn, and found herself unable to move. _Paralyzed! No!_ She could do nothing but watch as several archers lined up shots on her. Then she was released. A hand grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back. A shield was positioned in front of her and the arrows bounced off. She glanced to her right. Alistair held his shield protectively, finishing up his disspell cantrip with a few words. Shale was smacking a genlock against the wall. She couldn't help but smile.

There were few darkspawn archers left, but the tall Mage stood out like a beacon. It was casting some large spell. Alistair took off towards it. "Protect Alistair!" She yelled to Shale. She engaged the archers, wiping them out with a few choice slashes.

Finally down to the general, Mirra approached as Shale and Alistair double teamed the evil magic user. She used their distraction to slam her axe into his back. It didn't even look at her, just tossed an ice spell over its shoulder.

Once again unable to move Mirra was forced to watch the proceedings from within a frozen shell. Alistair and Shale took turns beating on the creature while Leliana perforated it with arrows. In a few moments Alistair made a motion in the air and Mirra was released. She approached from behind again, raising her axe high for a devastating blow. Before she brought it down the Mage shrieked, falling backwards and twitching. It was quickly apparent why, as they could all see the arrow protruding from its eye. Mirra brought down her axe slowly, making sure the creature was good and dead. Once it stopped twitching she gave a warm smile to her bard. Everyone was healed.

"Marketplace?" Alistair asked.

"If I were a bunch of bloodthirsty creatures bent on as much death and destruction as possible, it's where I would go." Mirra said.

"Marketplace." Alistair nodded.

00000000

A deafening screech drew their gaze upward during the short trip to the marketplace. The archdemon was flying high above them. It did look like a dragon, and flew like one, but something wasn't quite right about it. It moved slightly more mechanically, or more stiffly than a normal dragon.

As they watched it started flying erratically, switching direction for no reason and bucking. Peering closely they could just barely see it had a rider. A rider it didn't want to have. The dragon smashed into a building in an attempt to remove its passenger. It howled in rage as the rider leapt to the wing, presumably anchoring itself to the wing with something sharp.

"Riordan?" Alistair asked.

"Who else would be crazy enough to jump on that thing?" Mirra answered.

The dragon flapped its wings in irritation and the inevitable occurred. You can only hang onto a wing for so long during flight. As they watched the rider was flung from the dragon, tearing a huge hole in the wing. They both hung their heads as he plummeted to the ground far below.

Another great howl brought their attention back to the dragon. It flapped its useless wing, unsuccessfully trying to stay airborn. It spiraled down and miraculously landed on the ramparts of Fort Drakon. Mirra looked at Alistair sadly.

00000000

"Ugg." Mirra said. She found a nearby structure that didn't appear too damaged, and collapsed against it. Leliana came over and sat next to her. They were both more exhausted than they'd ever been. Hours of uninterrupted battles with darkspawn were taking their toll.

They looked around at the wreckage that used to be the marketplace. Most of the buildings were smashed, and piles of rubble were strewn about. Several buildings were on fire, illuminating the space in an orange glow. Ogre bodies were everywhere. They had no idea why the ogres clustered in the marketplace, but that was all they found within its confines, other than the general. The general was at their feet, huge battle axe where it fell nearby. Wynne was still working on Alistair, who was wounded when an ogre threw a huge boulder at him. Mirra let her head fall to Leliana's shoulder.

"I need a vacation." She said. Leliana smiled at her fondly.

"Where would you like to go?" She asked.

"Someplace with a comfy bed. I'm going to sleep for a week." She told her.

"Can I come?" Leliana asked playfully.

"Your attendance is required."

"What should I wear?" She asked.

"Not much." Mirra giggled.

"As you wish, Mirra." Leliana kissed the top of her ear, sending a shiver down Mirra's spine.

"We're ready, Mirra." Wynne told her. Alistair was flexing his shield arm, checking Wynne's work. Mirra hopped up, pulling Leliana up with her.

"Fort Drakon?" Mirra asked.

"Fort Drakon." Alistair replied.

"Let's get us some archdemon." Mirra said with a weary smile.

00000000

Mirra didn't recognize Fort Drakon when she reached it. The darkspawn set up spiked barricades and effigies to the archdemon everywhere. It also seemed they knew Mirra and Alistair were coming. There were several alpha darkspawn on guard, Mage and warrior alike. Mirra was really wishing she had Morrigan with her. This was going to be difficult.

She peeked over a wall to get a better look. "Alistair and Leliana, the mages are all you. I'm going after the archers. Shale and Rex, protect Leliana and Wynne."

"Warden?" A voice asked from around a corner. Shocked, Mirra crouched and shifted towards the voice.

A cluster of mages looked at her expectantly. One of the older mages addressed her. "We saw you earlier, and followed you to offer our assistance." Mirra looked over the group. Six or so mages of various ages. It looked like they'd seen their share of action during the last day of battle around Denerim.

"Any of you know how to drain a mage of their power?" She asked.

"I do." A young elven girl from the back of the group told her. Some of the other mages looked at her in surprise. Apparently it was not a common skill to have.

"What's your name?"

"Nyssa, ma'am." Mirra winced at the formality.

"Call me Mirra, Nyssa." Mirra said. "Your job is to drain every Mage you see. Anyone know how to do that thing that paralyzes and hurts at the same time?" Mirra's lack of spell knowledge caused a couple of them to smile.

"Crushing prison?" One of them asked.

"I have no idea, but that sounds good. Use that on the spawn with the better armor." Mirra looked over the rest of them. "The rest of you, fireball, freeze, and hex to your heart's content. Stay behind cover when you aren't casting." She crouched and shifted back to her group.

"We have some Mage assistance. One will drain the mages, one is going to put crushing prison on the alphas, the rest are going to rain down hell. Shale, keep an eye on them." The golem nodded at her. "Leliana, when you are ready." A slight creaking of wood and leather, and one of the genlock mages was flung to the ground with an arrow in its forehead. Instantly the rest of the team sprang into action.

Mirra slashed through the nearest genlock rogue before she heard the noise...a shrieking coming from over their heads. She looked up to see a dragon dropping out of the sky towards her. "Are you kidding me?" She leapt out of the way, crashing into a barricade. Fortunately the beast wasn't the archdemon. Even so, it was larger than a drake, and charged straight towards Leliana. Mirra smashed her axe into a rear leg, then backpedaled quickly when it whipped its head towards her.

She noticed Alistair at her side. "Go! I've got this." She she told him. She felt more than saw him leave. Fireballs and howls of pain came from all around her. She tuned them out. The dragon turned its bulk around and eyed her curiously. She rose to the balls of her feet. It grabbed at her, its jaw snapping together in the air she previously occupied. Still in motion she slammed her axe into the first leg she found. The dragon howled, then flung her into a nearby barricade. Mirra looked to the left and right, finding that she barely missed being impaled on one of two huge wooden spikes.

She ducked under the spikes and rolled out of the way as the dragon took another swipe at her. Some enterprising Mage froze one of the dragon's legs. Mirra said a word of thanks to the Maker before bringing her axe down with all the strength she could muster. The dragon's leg crumbled underneath it and it flopped to one side. A desperate cry rose as it threw out a wing to compensate. Mirra took her chance and jumped onto its back.

The dragon's scales provided little grip, so Mirra had to be quick. She scrambled up to the ridge at the dragon's spine, then flung out her axe before sliding back down. Her axe cracked through the bony plate over the spine, severing the spinal column before she slid back to the ground with a crash. The dragon let out a very high pitched shriek before stopping completely. Mirra looked to find the head frozen in a cry of anguish. One of the mages was looking out for her. She smashed the head. Looking around she saw the path was pretty much clear to the fort. Rex and Alistair were tearing into the last few genlocks near the huge doors.

A sharp pain came to her attention. An arrow jutted from her abdomen. "And who was supposed to take care of the archers...oh yeah...me." She said to herself. She walked back towards Wynne and Leliana. On the way there she saw one of the mages on the ground. It was the young elf Nyssa, bleeding from an arrow in her chest. She reached towards Mirra.

"Mirra." She said. She was fading quickly.

"Wynne!" She yelled. Nyssa went still, her eyes still locked on Mirra's. Mirra took her hand and crouched next to her. Her hand was still warm, but there was no pulse. Some blood dripped from the corner of her mouth. "Wynne!" She said again.

"Coming Mirra." Wynne came around a barricade to see both of them. Some of the other mages followed her. Wynne put her hands over the young mage and paused. "Sorry, Mirra. She's gone." She wiped her hand over the mage's face and shut her eyes.

"She leapt over the barricade to freeze the dragon for you." The older Mage said. Mirra glared at him.

"And you didn't heal her?"

"I'm sorry, Warden. I'm not a healer." He said, looking ashamed.

"None of you are?" She asked, looking around at the other mages. As one they looked at their feet.

"They're keeping all the healers at the temporary trauma station, Warden." The elder Mage told her. Mirra frowned. She looked back to Nyssa, still holding her hand. The one Mage who risked their own life to help her. _Such a young girl. They release you from your prison only when they are desperate, and without any healers. In return you sacrifice yourself to help me. Was it because I was an elf like you, or something even more noble in your blood?_ She folded the mage's hands over her chest.

Unseen under her, a drop of blood traveled to the end of the arrow still sticking from her stomach, dropping onto the mage's robe.

"Mirra! You're hurt!?" Wynne pulled her arm out of the way to see the bloody arrow. "Why didn't you say anything?" Mirra pulled away from her.

"Why didn't you heal her, Wynne?" Mirra demanded. She stood defiantly, arrow still protruding from her gut. Wynne didn't say anything.

"Mirra, Wynne had her hands full healing us." Leliana's soothing voice cut through her anger. "I'm sorry we lost the young mage, but please, let us heal you. We still need to defeat the beast on the roof." She approached from around the mages, taking Mirra's hand into hers. She laced her fingers through Mirra's, then drew her towards Wynne. Mirra closed her eyes and allowed the tension to leave her. Leliana pulled her chest piece up so they could access the wound.

Wynne waved her hand over the area. It went numb.

"New technique, Wynne?" Mirra asked about the new technique.

"Something I picked up recently from the first enchanter, lucky for you." She pulled out the arrow carefully. Mirra didn't feel a thing. Wynne healed the wound. Mirra still couldn't feel a thing.

"Does it wear off?" Mirra asked, poking the numb spot.

"In time." Wynne told her.

Mirra crouched back down over the mage. "Fare thee well, Nyssa. May you find comfort in the arms of your chosen god." Then she turned and looked up at the towering structure of the fort. "Let's go."


End file.
